Brugs to bust in Buffalo

A week ago Thursday night, Mother Nature played a trick on Buffalo and it's surrounding areas. We received a record-breaking snow storm (close to two feet in some areas) that downed trees on an unprecedented scale. The extremely heavy, wet snowfall devastated many of our gorgeous elms, sycamores, crabapples, maples, willows and just too many more to list. Even though we are known for snow, not this early, lol! The weight of the snow on the leaves and branches was too heavy for most trees to hold, and we could hear the cracking and popping of branches throughout the day on Friday. As of tonight, 65,000 homes are still without power, luckily, ours was restored today.
Earlier in the day I was snapping a few pics of my last brug blooms for the season. I am still amazed at the transfromation in one day...from Brugs to bust.
Jackie

Here is another view of Golden Queen in the morning.

Santa Rosa with lighter fall color.

Unknown pink.

Those are beautiful! Glad you have power!
JanetS

Unknown yellow the night before.

Thanks Janet....7 days without heat or electric....we were starting to climb the walls, lol.
(I discovered there is a limit to how many games of Yahtzee a human can play in one week.)

Here is my yard the morning after (Friday.) All of the trees in and surrounding my yard were actually touching the ground or the branches were broken off and laying across and around my yard. It took hubby and me two days to trim and clear the damage as best we could.
This is my 45 foot pussy willow which snapped in half like it was struck with lightening. It looked like a giant fountain reaching to the ground.

No climbing on the jungle gym for the boys, lol.

Let's play "Find the garage!"

This large cluster of branches was a "widow maker" balancing only on the phone and cable lines above.

This is supposed to be up in the air, note that it is mostly below the wire.

My dog Lola was too upset to go outside. She didn't want to see anymore of her precious yard, lol.

Down the street, a giant claw placed down on the ground by the storm.

Too many trees to count look like this one.

Another. So devastating.

A neighbor's car acted like a giant (might I add expensive) planter to a five foot branch. This was all that was left imbedded in the hood after he cut it off.
(BTW, the car still runs. Has that Buffalo spunk and determination, I guess.)

Another victim.

Friday afternoon, Golden Queen was just getting going. I guess she didn't know how bad things were outside.

I'm sorry about the storm; but I think I have kinship with Lola. Ignore it and it will go away!!
That picture is too cute!!
Bonnie

Amazing!!!! We're so glad you are safe!!

Judy

Gee Jackie I ran in here to peek but I need more time to read this saga. I will be back to read it over my Vietnamese dinner.

Oh my gosh! That is sooo awful.. Well, at least you got some beautiful blooms and pics to keep. That unknown Yellow is to die for! I bet it smells grand.

That is devastating. Poor trees. Poor car. Poor Lola. What a rude way to start winter. I hope it is not a precursor of what is to come. You could use sure a mild one!

Thanks you guys. I heard this morning that 90% of our trees in Western New York have at least fair to moderate damage. It is sad to see.
Bonnie, at this point, I'm with you and Lola.
Thanks, Judy, we were lucky that things weren't worse.
ZZ, she smells awesome, as does the Queen. The whole front porch does, so much that I am delaying putting them to sleep for the winter. Just another day or two I keep saying, lol.
Kell, some meterologists say mild winter, but most of us think we're overdue for lots of snow.

Jackie,

I think I once told you that I lived in Buffalo for 4 years, 45 years ago and then moved back to Rochester where my boys still are. I don't remember in the 43 years that I lived up there, any storm like this do early. Did it set any records?

I remember late snows, like 4/22 and the boys went skiing at Bristol, but not the early ones.

That is really some disaster up there. Such a pity for the trees, but I guess it's God's way of pruning and giving more sun to the young trees.

Your brug is beautiful. Keep it there are long as you can and it will stave away the winter...LOL

Hap

Well....
Some of your photos are absolutely wonderful looking and some are NOT!
So happy to hear you and your Boys are OK. What a mess you have to clean up now your way.
Take Care


Y A T Z Z EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y A T Z Z EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y A T Z Z EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y A T Z Z EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL
Just had to add that....

All the tree damage is so heartbreaking. I know how I felt when we had just one large branch break off. Glad you and your family, and your pretty brugs, came through undamaged :-)
Sharon

So where in Buffalo are you? I lived in Clarence when the blizzard of '77 hit. Was such a mess...but we all pitched in to help the neighbors with whatever. Had a baby born on the back of a snowmobile not too far from us. The night before the storm hit I had made a BIG pot of soup...set it in the garage to cool and forgot it..next day frozen solid. At least we had plenty to eat. LOL

Yes Hap, this was the earliest storm recorded here in Buffalo. The media is calling it the October "Surprise." Approximately 2 feet in most areas. We still have flurries once and awhile by Halloween, but nothing that sticks. The trouble came because Lake Erie was 62 degrees, pretty warm, and when the snow machines geared up it was like dumping wet cement on all of our trees, which still had most of the leaves. Hence, snapping branches and trees like a hurricane. I was out today surveying more damage, and besides Buffalo, Amherst, Williamsville, and Lancaster suffered the most because of all of the many broken trees.
Whereabouts did you live?
Between you and Ginger, I'm thinking that maybe I need to look into changing zip codes, for a Florida zone, lol. This one was hard to stomach, even for a Buffalo die-hard.
Ginger, I am directly in the city, about 10 minutes from downtown. I live off of Richmond Ave. I just love your story about the soup...my goodness, the Blizzard of 77 was unbelievable.
I spent the weekend vacuuming, then vacuuming again, just because I could, lol, and cleaning up more junk and limbs out of the yard. Oh, and did I mention laundry??
I also put the brugs and other tropicals to sleep in the winter quarters. Yep, I got the message that it was time, loud and clear.
And Kin, no more Yahtzee, perhaps ever. No more Chutes and Ladders again, either!! LOL
Thanks for all the sentiments, I really appreciate it.
Jackie

Jackie... such moving photos... thanks... best of luck in the clearing of it... your humor is refreshing to hear... in the midst of the chaos... it's surely much easier with everyone there safe and sound... Gordon

Jacki,

I lived in the posh area called The Langfield Project. The rent was $25.00 a month including utilities. My X was in school and that's where we lived for 4 years. I was 19 when I moved in and boy did I learn a few things about life. It was an experience to say the least.......

I'm sorry that that you guys got hit so bad.....but I am sooooo glad we missed that bullet
Some of our drivers got stuck out there and they tried to send me out there that Friday and Saturday....
(i turned the work down,I already had 60 hours)
I am soooo not ready for it.....
I just talked to a freind and as of friday she still had no power......

That is all pure craziness. You all should move to Florida. There is sparkling sunshine out and it's 79'....That ain't bad.....

I'm in a tank top and shorts.


Hap

You have been a busy girl, Jackie! So much work. You get such cold weather there routinely in the winter, I wonder how you ever have any branches left on your trees. You do need to move Jackie...........come to CALIFORNIA!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Hap, you may be in shorts and a tank, but I am naked.
That will keep Jackie in NY for sure. LOL

It is 71 °F / 22 °C
Clear
Humidity: 42%

We do not perspire here. So there. LOL

80 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky. Southern California Rocks!

Kell,

I really can't think of an answer......so I think that I will just press, "Send"!!!

MP....

I got about that too. So THERE!!!!!!

Hap

Hap, if I wasn't here ..... I'd be there! I have a sister and a brother living in Florida and they both love it! I think your winter is better for brugs than mine.