Riding after the Storm

 

Unbeknownst to us, as 4th of July celebrations were kicking off and intense wall of thunderstorms, wind and rain ripped through the area. This part of Connecticut seems to be a magnet for intense weather that results in downed trees, blocked roads, and the power being out for days. We didn't lose power in Sandy Hook but large swaths of Newtown did. 

We decided to try something different and ride through Newtown this morning not really knowing what had happened to the town after last night's storm.  We rode up through Pole Bridge and then over to Wasserman Way, cutting through the Horse Guard to avoid climbing the steeper part of Wasserman Way.

 

It wasn't until we were heading down from the top of Orchard Hill on Platts Hill that we started seeing some of the effects of last night's storm.

After Platts Hill everything looked normal again.

Gabby's house had a tree down in the front yard.

To my surprise I found black butter on the flat part of Key Rock Road.

Had to ride Sugar Lane to see the cows. Some walkers informed us that the road ahead was completely blocked.

So we continued on to see what was going on.

Yep, the road was blocked, no wires down, but there was no way getting around that.

It was time to back track.  On the way to town I took Ann down the Baldwin Road Loop.

Riding through town the sound of generators broke the silence.

We stopped at Eunice's for bagels.

We rode down Glen Road and came back over the Rochambeau Path.

In my neck of the woods I discovered my house wasn't sparred.

My driveway was blocked with a tree down. My neighbor Nick and his father Fred, came over and cut up the tree. I offered them the wood as payment and they happily agreed.

My mailbox wasn't spared, though. It's still in tact but just covered with the crown of the tree that fell.