Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Rising Tide Waters and a visit to St. Simons after the hurricane

Rising Tide Waters, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Many of you have been kind enough to remember my connection to St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast, and to ask how our family weathered Hurricane Matthew. Thank you for that. It was a nerve-racking time for us to be far away as the wind and waves were charging the coast. 

The island was closed for 5 days, and as soon as it opened back up, I got myself down there to check on things. Felled trees were the biggest problem across the island, and some areas were hit pretty hard. One neighborhood lost 700 trees... hard to believe... and if you have been there you know how beautiful those trees are. Overall, I am thrilled to report that the island was spared the widespread flooding and damage that was predicted. Our family and home-away-from-home are safe and sound. I even got out to paint a few times, and was relieved to stand before this gorgeous, golden marsh again, with brush in hand. 

But here is the most important thing to know... I saw neighbors helping neighbors and a very grateful community working together. Disasters often bring out the best in people. Have you noticed that? There is still work to be done (there and all along the coast where Matthew hit), but the camaraderie was a beautiful sight to witness. And our sparkling little island is still there. Thanks be to God! 

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