Refugee Camp

Clark's Yard... Now with a shorter tree
Ice is really that destructive folks!
Power lines down... remember looey the lightening bug... don't hang around those power lines
It looks like end of the world stuff.... Everything just Frozen....
Clark doing his duty to keep the ladies warm and hydrated on those cold nights....

I feel badly that I am just now posting about the horrible experience that my loved ones have been going through in the ice-covered midwest.
Sunday night my brother (and hundreds and thousands of others) was rudely awoken to the sounds of trees crashing on, around, and through his house.
A "light misting rain" kept falling in the sooner state and eventually the weight of the frozen water on the trees was too much for them to stand and they ALL came crashing down. This included the power lines and poles all over the state.
Now for those who don't live in Tulsa or haven't been to northwestern Oklahoma... there are a lot of trees! Big ones! Old ones! It breaks my heart to hear and see the images of them on the ground or broken in half. They really do give Tulsa and that area a real beauty.
So Clark has no power, dad had no power (though it didn't affect him b/c he was cozy and warm in his other Montana home), and most of our family and friends didn't have power.
However, my mother and Jim were among one street in what seems to be the whole metro area that had light, heat, electricity.... So, if you can imagine it sounds like their place has served as a hostel / refugee camp since Monday.
Dad and CLark's office has a hole in the roof (b/c of a fallen tree) and papers and computers were wet and ruined...
The same scenario happened in OKC where Micca and Josh live. EVERYONE in their circles and family are without heat or power, but the Rasp's did... They too have been cycling people in and out their doors - providing shower, heat, beds, and refrigerator space.
We begged my dad to stay in MT until power and heat were restored to his house and office... Not a whole lot he can do about it there... But, he did not listen to us. His call the next morning from his frigid house was "you were right... I should have stayed in Montana." Apparenlty dad stayed up half the night burning what he called "wet twigs" in his fire place and sleeping on the couch....
It sounds like a real surreal time for my Okie brethren and I want you to know I am thinking of you and more importantly - can't wait for you all to be back online so I can read your blogs and talk to you!!!!
We hope the power is on and that everything is OK by the time we head down south in 1 week!!!