Santa's Rough Landing

This year was another big bash on the farm – and Christmas Eve saw 10 people all enjoying terrific company and food… then the storm started… at first the house just creaked a little… and we laughed as the wind speeds were around 30 miles per hour… then 40, then 50… then about 9pm – the lights went out – and came back on… several dramatic times… and there punctuated by a big gust and darkness…
A house full of family and friends – freezers full of Christmas dinner… 3 nutty dogs… and candles glowing, shingles flapping, wind whistling… a sorta a modern Victorian Christmas in a Hurricane feel.
Well – After a bit of fussing I got the Honda generator up and running – the tree lights and refrigerator came back online… and the shingles kept pelting the cars parked in the front loop.
As the guests left – the wind kept battering the house… not sure how Santa would safely make his landing… I kept thinking “And out in the lawn there arose such a clatter – I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter!”
At midnight Santa had still not arrived – but Kelli and I managed to cut back from generator to regular restored power – as our guests all nestled sung in their beds, while memories of Jephs Yule Log danced in their sweet little heads…
I’m pretty sure Santa got here about 3am – that’s when I heard the ripping sound of shingles and a huge chunk go sliding down the roof… I don’t know if it was impaired landing under windy conditions or a reindeer slip up on take off…
More pictures and tales of the Christmas festivities to come… I just need to rest from the holiday!