Clean Up In Aisle 4

We had a bit of excitement around here the other day.  The kids and I had been out running a few errands in the morning - library, school, farm market, orthodontist and then we headed home.  I was hoping to take the kids to the pool in the afternoon, but I kept watching the sky.  It's been terribly hot and humid this week and the clouds have been plenty.  Ohio afternoons in August can easily turn from sunny and pleasant to nasty in a short bit of time.  What the weather forecasters affectionately refer to as "pop up storms."

And that they do!

I was in the kitchen half-way through mixing up some biscotti dough and I looked out the kitchen window. 

"It's beginning to look a little dark out there," I noticed.  I go back about my business.

A few minutes pass and I happen to glance out the window again and, "Oooo, it's getting really dark out."  Then I notice the wind is really, REALLY picking up and I remember the empty trash cans our garbage collectors left by the curb this morning. 

I drop what I'm doing and run outside, grab the cans, then the lids and bolt for the garage.  Not a moment too soon either, because, the skies gave way and the wind whipped up even more.  I closed the garage door and retreated for the safety of my home.  I no sooner get in the house and I hear Owen and Jenna who are upstairs playing in Jenna's room.  Jenna calls down saying something about a tree.  I look out my kitchen window and I see this:

The tree originally sat on our next door neighbor's property.  After the storm, I went outside to get a better look and realized the tree was one of those were the base of the trunk was where it started as one tree and then kind of split into two trees.  This picture might help you understand a little better... 

And this was no small tree.  No siree.  It's pretty big.  It's pretty tall.  Or should I say was?

Thankfully, our swing set/fort was not damaged.  At least, at this point, it does not appear to be.  Our neighbor and Kevin plan to work on it this weekend to get it cleaned up.  On the bright side, we now have plenty of fire wood for toasting marshmallows this fall!

The kids have always wanted a tree house!