Our Visit w/ Rita (are YOU ready) part 3

We were relieved that we were spared a direct hit from Rita.
But the tornadoes hit our area hard. Driving down our road you could see the tell-tale signs of tornadoes.
Several houses that were just fine with some small limbs in the yard and shrubs laying down from the wind.
Then a house or two with the tops of trees gone and bigger limbs down on the houses and in the yard.
The there would be a house that lost it's roof.
Then there would be a house smashed under an ancient old oak tree.

As we slowly worked our way down the 2 miles to our house I was praying that our home was one of the ones that was spared. I was praying for my animals that I had left behind in the old shed/barn. I was praying that the huge oak tree right behind our home would still be standing where it belonged and not in the middle of our living room.

As we made the curve to our driveway I prepared myself for the worst. Then I saw it and started to cry...
Our home. Our 100+ year old farmhouse was still standing!
The barn/shed had lost quite a bit of it's tin roof but was still standing and despite the high winds. I was so relieved and thankful that I just couldn't contain the tears.

We pulled into the drive and I went to check on the critters.
My favorite pig, Sausage (Saucy) ran up to the car to greet me.
I could hear the goats yelling before I even got out of the car.
They were wet from the open roof, they were scared, they were unhappy, but they were fine!
The chickens were still snug in their hen house.
Then I went to check on the pigs.
A large pin oak tree had fallen on their pen.
Saucy was out and running around.
Hot Dog was trying to nap amongst the oat leaves.
But I couldn't find Bacon. He was our only Duroc, a big pretty red hog. He was nowhere to be found.
I called for him.. he did not come.

Then I heard the-Man-of-My-Dreams calling me from the house.
"Whew!! I said, "we are so lucky! That everything is fine!"
"Not Quite" he said. uh oh...

It seems that the high winds picked up the porch of the house and basically ripped it at the seam where it met the living room. The more we looked, the more damage we found. There were some broken windows, and the house had been knocked askew from it's foundation. But it was still standing! We were still very lucky.

The funny thing about the way Rita hit our area is the fact that we really didn't get much rain. Lots of wind, lots of tornado's, but little rain.
All in all we were blessed to have dodged the major bullet named Rita. Now we just needed to clean up and make repairs. And Thank God that it wasn't much worse.

Little did we know that the hardest part was yet to come.

To Be Continued....