Even Without Power, the Boss Blogs

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., May 3 2007 at 12:29 PM

Categories: Memo from The Boss

Don't know about y'all, but my neighborhood, in southwest Dallas, looks like a hurricane plowed through. We haven't had power since about 7 p.m. last night, and large trees are in the streets, on cars, on houses and on sheds. Some very large trees were completely uprooted. When the storm hit, you could hear the dull crack of trees breaking every few minutes.

Our transformer blew up and started a tree on fire. One tree crushed our front gate and blocked our driveway. This morning you could hear the chorus of chain saws throughout the 'hood -- among those who were fortunate enough to have gas-powered saws. (Ever thought about the fact that an electric-powered saw is worthless when the power's out?)

We went to Home Depot in Grand Prairie on Interstate 20 to buy a generator this morning, and clerks said that Grand Prairie and southwest Dallas seem to have been hit the hardest.

I drove to North Dallas early this morning, and I didn't see anything approaching the degree of damage at home.

There are also quite a few animals--horses, sheep, roosters, peacocks--in our neighborhood, which is kind of rural in flavor, with big lots and tons of trees. It was a good thing to hear that renegade rooster crowing this morning. (Mayor Miller, leave him alone.) Haven't seen or heard the peacocks, though. They roost in trees at night. Not a good place to be during that storm. --Julie Lyons

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