Fog

These were taken last Thursday morning from my back deck.  Queens Creek was fogged over, but that didn't discourage some early morning boaters near the marina just up the way.  As the sun rose the fog slowly burned off.

The haze and the colors are just as they appeared then.

This point of land, a very narrow peninsula which juts out into the creek, is to the left of the shots above, away from the direct light of that rising sun.

Speaking of haze and fog, the aftermath of the tornado is still being felt very acutely here.

(Yet amazingly, across the river where I work, they barely mentioned it.  We always seem to get lost in the shuffle, those of us who live in Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex. I suppose that's what attracts us to living here, the lack of attention and spotlight. Still, it's hard to believe something this big can happen and  people just 20 or 30 minutes in another direction have no inkling that anything happened.)

Today on my way in to work I drove by Page Middle School and could not believe my eyes. How all that damage could come from such a swift weather event is beyond comprehension.

After crossing the Coleman Bridge I took my usual route up the Colonial Parkway and was shocked to discover a patch of trees that had been completely obliterated, snapped off midway up just like toothpicks. Evidently this was where the tornado passed through before crossing the York River and continuing its path of destruction as it bullied its way through Gloucester and Middlesex.

As is typical for this area, the outpouring from the community has been immense. Churches and other organizations are providing meals, clothes, showers, and even chain saw brigades. My daughter's school, forced to cancel its community Easter egg hunt Saturday due to the weather, is using all the candy and eggs to make Easter bags for those affected by the tornado.

According to an email from my daughter's school, the Red Cross is asking for the following items, which can be dropped off at Bellamy United Methodist, 4870 Chestnut Fork Road, Gloucester, from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

                Currently, the most pressing needs are:

                Children’s clothes – sizes small, medium and large

                Infant clothes

                Cleaning supplies

                Food items that do not need cooking or refrigeration

                (food items specifically mentioned included cereal, snacks and soft/juice drinks)

One thing that is bizarre to those of us unaccustomed to tornadoes but very much acquainted with other severe weather, is how seemingly untouched most of the area is. Unless you glanced in the general direction of Page Middle School (and the field next to it), you'd never know anything happened as you drive down an otherwise normal looking Route 17.

Deltaville is still in recovery mode. Be sure to read Deltaville Jamie's latest account of the goings on over there, where they are also struggling with decimated buildings, yet, amazingly, no loss of life.

p.s. Speaking of lost lives, I referenced three deaths in Gloucester in yesterday's post.  That number has since been revised to two storm-related deaths.