Setbacks

We flew to North Carolina for a conference at 6 a.m. Sunday, May 19. Around four that afternoon I got a text from one of my sisters saying we'd better have someone check on our house because a big storm had gone through town. Sure enough, our house was badly damaged by hail. Ruined roof and guttering, broken window, battered deck and lawn furniture. All discouraging and time-consuming, but covered by our homeowners insurance, thankfully.

But the hardest to take is how the storm erased all the hours of work we'd put into getting the yard in shape. After spending 8 hours last week weeding, planting, transplanting, pruning, and mulching with this result:

We came home to find trees stripped of their leaves and our plants shredded like salad. Only on the east side of the house did the plants go unscathed.

Our friends took a photo of these hailstones that did the damage.

I'm very grateful our favorite green ceramic pot wasn't broken and the flower cart my dad built for us is undamaged. But we'll be starting from scratch on our flower pots and plantings. Discouraging, yet in light of what the folks in Oklahoma are dealing with right now, we feel very fortunate.

One wonderful ray of hope: I feared our nesting doves had perished in the storm. Or even if they'd survived, that the eggs would be scrambled. As soon as we got home I ran to check on the nest. It was intact and Mama Dove was sitting there! There must still be eggs!

The hanging plant where the nest rests is too high for me to peek into, but as soon as Mama left the nest, I ran for my camera and held it high to take a photo and see if it revealed unbroken eggs. Imagine my joy when THIS is what the camera revealed!

Mama and babies are doing fine, and we are filled with hope.