A Tornado Twisted Through my Farm
I must thank all of you dedicated readers, once again, for helping to make my blog so successful. As I did last year, I chose five of the most popular blogs as far as page views are concerned and will repost them during this week. I hope that your holidays were wonderful and I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope that 2011 will be safe, healthy, and prosperous!
Last Wednesday, the twenty-first of July, we experienced some very severe weather here in the Northeast causing many downed trees and power lines. Tornados were confirmed in Connecticut. I was at home at my farm in Bedford, New York. Around five in the afternoon, the skies grew very dark, it became very windy, and the rain came down in torrents. In fact, it was pounding horizontally. The power went out, switching over to generator. When the thunder and lightning passed, I ventured outdoors to find major devastation. More than 120 trees on the farm suffered damage. Stately old trees were snapped down and others were pulled right out of the ground. Shaun, my gardener and a licensed arborist, was shocked by the ruin. In his opinion, because the path of destruction is so narrow through the woods, a twister could very well have been the cause. Thankfully, no one was hurt and there was no structural damage to any of my buildings. A big thank you to all of the crews who worked so hard to clear roads and to restore power.
1 Several large branches were torn from this linden tree.
2 So many trees were snapped right in half.
3 These large maples were destroyed.
4 This large limb was torn off of a very old tree alongside Maple Avenue.
5 Rather than snapping, this tree came right out of the ground.
6 Immediately following the heavy winds and rain, a double rainbow appeared overhead.
7 This old maple was a source of shade for the horses in their paddock - so sad.
8 Another split tree.
9 And another
10 This mighty oak fell victim to the wind.
11 This one really looks twisted!
12 The narrow path of the twister runs right through a very wooded area.
13 This tree was pulled right out of the ground along with large boulders and the surrounding flora.
14 Tree upon tree
15 This branch is hung up quite high in this maple.
16 One of my prized sycamores against an angry sky
17 One of my recently planted sycamores ruined
18 Potted plants were tossed around as branches flew through the air.
19 How lucky was I that this very tall white pine fell just inches from the tenant house? The thud was terrifying.
20 Wilmer standing next to the same tree with gorgeous plantings uprooted - the wire is a lightning rod - somehow very ironic.
21 Many roads were blocked by fallen trees and electric wires. This is right in front of my home.
22 Even utility poles were broken
23 Maple Avenue, a charming dirt road, was a real mess.
24 This raccoon was stunned. It probably lost its home in a tree.
25 My friend, Ralph Robbins from SavAtree, http://www.savatree.com/ sent a crew quickly.
26 There was a lot of damage right outside my home. A lovely black locust fell but did not hit the house.
27 Good thing no one was traveling on this carriage road.
28 Splintered!
29 The force of the wind was frightening.
30 The day after the storm, a team from Fox 5 news was covering the damage in the area - Cathleen Trgg and a camera man.
31 I happened to be driving past in my Kawaski and agreed to be interviewed.
32 To reward the tree crew for their labors, I served them chocolate layer cake and sticky buns from my kitchen.
33 They were happy.
34 Yum!!!
35 This linden tree was uprooted, broke my stone wall, and fell across the street.
36 Chhiring standing next to the linden tree showing how large it is
37 Another tree in the woods
38 Nothing but splinters
39 This tree was rotten and would have fallen soon anyway.
40 This pile in the compost yard is aging for firewood.
41 It's growing rapidly.
42 Chipped wood and other logs are being piled high for compost.
43 Another look at the beautiful old sycamore - It will be pruned back and we'll hope for the best.
44 I also offered muffins and sticky buns to the utility workers.
45 All homemade, of course!
46 Really good monkey bread
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
There is something just heart wrenching about seeing all those beautiful trees felled by the elements. We live on a five acre parcel and have a number of trees fall because of storms every year and it's always heartbreaking.
We've also had a number of trees seemingly devastated by storms but after cleaning up the damage and giving them a couple of years they've recovered quite nicely.
Posted by: Andrea | July 27th, 2010 at 12:14 am
Some of the damage reminds me of uprooted trees in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia of a couple of years ago when hundreds of very old trees (upwards of 800 years old) were taken down by a servere wind storm unlike any seen in decades...if ever. That big tree falling inches from your house...wow...you are so lucky. The hydro crew couldn't have lucked out any better than to be at your place. Chocolate layer cake and sticky buns for all! Anyway, it is fascinating what mother nature can do...but it must be for a good reason...we just get in the way. Thanks Martha. And if any of your fans/readers are from Canada I would very much appreciate a vote on my Word Press blog to help me win the Stridea contest for my romance idea.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | July 27th, 2010 at 12:17 am
Oh my, I'm glad nobody was hurt. All those beautiful trees though- splintered and uprooted!!!
Posted by: Fantastyk Voyager | July 27th, 2010 at 12:17 am
Hi Martha,
It is a miracle that no one was hurt! That tree in picture #18 was dangerously close – it could have done some serious damage to your tenant house. So scary! At least in Florida we get warnings when storms are approaching especially when the winds are high so we have time to move our potted plants and outdoor furniture to safety. I actually got tired of doing that the year Wilma blew through and the damage was very extensive. Sometimes there is nothing we can do when nature decides to wreak havoc except to count our blessings afterwards. I’m glad you and your gang are all okay! Trish
Posted by: Trish | July 27th, 2010 at 12:46 am
Oops, I guess that was picture #19 where the tall white pine fell. I had been checking out your tropical plants in picture #18 and noticed your ferns were still hanging. That is so amazing that something like hanging ferns come through unscathed yet a big tree is uprooted! Well, take care. Trish
Posted by: Trish | July 27th, 2010 at 12:55 am
I'm sorry to hear about all those trees down and all that damage. During a storm on Good Friday this year, a tree fell onto my house and many others fell around the property, so I feel your pain
Posted by: Deeds | July 27th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Thankfully there was no injury or damage to your home. Living down south tornadoes are a spring ritual for us but still so scary. We have always heard that with a tornado the trees snap off, high strong straight line winds either snap or push over the trees. It looks like you had a lot of snapped trees Martha. I hope the animals were not too terribly scared during the storm. I'm sure you will have the farm up and going and we hope this doesn't happen again. Best wishes always.
Posted by: Mona C | July 27th, 2010 at 3:13 am
The photos are worse than I had expected. You are so lucky that no-one was hurt, that tree so close to the house is a miracle.
I love how you are putting every piece of wood to good use, and that you served treats to the workers, it is extremely kind.
Posted by: Pru | July 27th, 2010 at 3:44 am
I love following your blog and seeing the progress of your beautiful farm, and it makes me really sad to se the devastation after the tornado. So sad with all the trees, takes so long for them to grow to their full size, so once lost you can't really replace them even if you replant. Glad no people or buildings where dammaged though!
/Lars, Stockholm, Sweden
Posted by: Lars | July 27th, 2010 at 6:06 am
Martha thank God no one was hurt. I can't believe the amount of damage to your property. I'm 50 years old and I can not remember ever having weather like we've had in the past year. Between the heavy snow that damaged so many trees and caused power outages to the strong winds and rain which also caused downed trees and leaving us without power for days it's just unreal. The Northeast has really had some strange weather.
Posted by: Ann | July 27th, 2010 at 6:22 am
I enjoy your blog so much, especially the pix of your beautiful farm, and am sad for you that you sustained so much damage. We all know it "could always be worse," but it's sad to see damage to a property that is so well loved and cared for. All the best.
Posted by: Burndett Andres | July 27th, 2010 at 7:01 am
I cannot believe how hard you were hit. I REALLY cannot believe you were there when the storm came through. What timing! All of your travels, then, you come home, and this. Unbelievable! So much work, thankfully you have crews to take care of it. Nice job taking care of the guys and gals with the treats, very thoughtful. From your posts, I know how much you treasure flora and fauna, therefore, this must have been quite a shock to take it all in. You were blessed in that your home, and pets, and any human life were kept from harm's way. Good luck in your restorations and hopefully the remainder of your summer will be less "adventurous".
Posted by: Suzanne Russell | July 27th, 2010 at 7:07 am
Photos do remind me that Nature is the force in control. Rural utility companies had employees and volunteers on hand in times past to deal with such devastation. Somehow we manage.
Posted by: ann | July 27th, 2010 at 7:26 am
The photos are worse that I thought. So very glad no one was hurt. You must have been devastated when you walked out your door. Hope all your animals are ok.
Posted by: Bernadette | July 27th, 2010 at 7:38 am
So glad you are safe. Some don't take these things seriously. Matters can get very rough quickly. I feel sorry for those old trees that have lived through and seen so much. Have a safe day!
Posted by: Ava Roxanne Stritt/My Skin Concierge Ava | July 27th, 2010 at 7:48 am
Oh Martha,
so sorry to see such devistation and to hear that dreadful noise, I hope your pups were all safe inside with you, nature has a force we just can't imagine. So glad to hear no one hurt at all, I also live in an area which fortunately only occasionally this weather occurs, I hate it. Very nice of all the crews to turn up so quickly especially the aborist company sometimes things can be saved.
Posted by: Aussie gal | July 27th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Weather is unbelievably powerful! Thank goodness no one was hurt. We had a huge maple tree UPROOTED by Hurricane Ike.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastwyf/2904928325/
Posted by: Pam | July 27th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Ouch!
Posted by: Jamie | July 27th, 2010 at 8:11 am
All the marks of a tornado...after living in Kansas twice, I know the signs.
Because you share your farm with us so often in those gorgeous photos, this damage feels more personal.
I'm sorry for your tree loss.
Posted by: Rhonda Fleming Hayes | July 27th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Martha, I just have to ask this...did you bake before or after the storm? The treats look amazing...how did you do it all so fast?
Would have taken me a whole day : )
Happy to hear you are safe...boy things happen quickly dont they?
Posted by: Debra Van Dyke | July 27th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Unbelivable damage. Trees are so precious - especially the 'old friends.'
Posted by: JoAnn | July 27th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Whoa!!! Full on double rainbow!!! What does this mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI
Posted by: Michelle | July 27th, 2010 at 8:47 am
such devastation!
but how totally sweet of you to feed everyone.
way to go!
Posted by: MJ Blanchette | July 27th, 2010 at 8:47 am
It just hurts to see so many trees down, and scary because some fell so close to buildings.
Sorry for the loss.
Posted by: Vivian Price | July 27th, 2010 at 8:48 am
It really does look like a tornado went through. Similar tree damage occurred near my husband's work a few years ago, where a tornado was confirmed to have passed. Thank goodness there was no damage to buildings or lives! I bet the tree and utility workers were happy to be working close to your property!
Posted by: Margaret | July 27th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | July 27th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Your crews rock. Chherring is my crush. Wow. How lucky they are to be part of your projects and upkeep. Collieo!
Posted by: Bruce Boon | July 27th, 2010 at 9:21 am
I always mourn for trees knocked down by a storm. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Posted by: Debbie | July 27th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Good morning Martha, amazing how many trees were snapped in half and fallen on your property. Thanks to God none of your buildings or people were damaged or hurt.
Posted by: patricia | July 27th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Sad to see so many beautiful trees devastated. Thank goodness nobody was hurt, human or animal. And that was very thoughtful of you to offer homemade treats to the workers. Many people would have been feeling sorry for themselves due to the damage and not thought of the hardworking crews. Your graciousness is part of what we all appreciate about you.
Posted by: SA | July 27th, 2010 at 9:58 am
OMG I am so sorry to see all the damage of your beautiful trees. That tree that fell so close to your tennants house, wow that what I call a close call.. So glad nobody was hurt.
Posted by: Sarah Fawcett | July 27th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Across the realm of mythology the double rainbow seems to hold steadfast position as a great sign of transformation. A quick search online revealed this succinct quote, if anyone else is curious
"When double rainbows appear it means that whatever is coming to you has great meaning in your life and that one good thing will lead to another good thing. I really rejoice in your happiness and good fortune. The rainbows are a sign from the cosmic universe that you are about to have something great fall into your lap!"
- Lillian Too of Feng Shui Malaysia
Posted by: R. | July 27th, 2010 at 10:01 am
New to your Blog and I love it! Sorry you lost so many beautiful trees,however glad no one was injured.
Posted by: Colleen | July 27th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Wow, I'm so sorry about your terrible wind/tornado; I thought Iowa had bad tornadoes, but I think you've joined the club!
It is heartbreaking to see the old majectic fellows split or uprooted. Nature is awesome (in the old sense of the word).
I love how you offer treats to the crews! Awesome (in the new sense of the word).
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | July 27th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Glad everyone is safe. We had an F-5 tornado go through the town we lived in 15 years ago. To see the big old trees so twisted reminds us how small we are when mother nature gets all wound up with her great powers.
Posted by: Sharon | July 27th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Wow, looks a lot like the one that cut a path through the Saw Mill and Hawthorne a few years ago. The weather gets more extreme around here each year. (They are still clearing the last of the big trees from the winter storms!)
Sweet that you fed the crews!
Posted by: charlotte lyons | July 27th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Ooooh! those beautiful trees, so sad to see what mother nature can do to us.
The grounds are so beautiful. Come visit my blog anytime for some peaceful inspiration in art and design.
PS. I just adore you, big supporter!
xx
Dore
Posted by: Dore | July 27th, 2010 at 11:23 am
It is always hard to watch these beautiful giants felled by a storm when it took nature so long to grow them.
Posted by: Peggy Gaffney | July 27th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Wow...thank goodness none of the trees hit any buildings! Had to be a terrifying experience. One the bright side, you will not be wanting for firewood for the next...oh, I don't know...10 years?? Glad everyone is safe (pets included!).
Posted by: Kim Wylie | July 27th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Wow...thank goodness none of the trees hit any buildings! Had to be a terrifying experience. On the bright side, you will not be wanting for firewood for the next...oh, I don't know...10 years?? Glad everyone is safe (pets included!).
Posted by: Kim Wylie | July 27th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Think of a small tornado as Mother Natures pruning shears. Got rid of alot of dead wood and now there is space for other things.. Thank goodness no one was hurt (espcially the "animules")
Posted by: Catherine | July 27th, 2010 at 11:48 am
I am sorry Martha, Nature just doesn't always do what we think best. I am thankful there was not more damage or injury. I am also pleased to see all those delicious snacks being enjoyed by individuals that do not get such treatment on a regular basis.
You are the best.
Posted by: Margie | July 27th, 2010 at 11:53 am
I want the monkey bread recipe! Great pictures Martha, what a devastating but wonderful story.
Posted by: Jenna-Marie | July 27th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
it's really inflicting to hear sad news like what you report . I hope there hasn't been too much damage in the building and the souls be spared . Hazardous weather is now affecting many areas around the globe . most people refer such storms and floods to climate change and the misuse of the environment . we must worship God to protect us from the riot of nature against the inhabitants of land .
Posted by: Brahim El Mouaddin | July 27th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Thank goodness no one was hurt! The power of nature never ceases to amaze, but some of those trees are beyond belief! My heart goes out to the stunted raccoon; he looks positively dazed!
Posted by: Amanda | July 27th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Gods way of pruning the trees and taking out the weak ones.
Glad to hear no one was hurt.
Is this why you were feeding the Verizon workers the other day ?
Ciao
Posted by: Glenda | July 27th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
my sister lives in the area. She has similar damage. Thank god no one was hurt!
Posted by: Chris T. | July 27th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Martha so sorry.
Posted by: Sherrie Rollins | July 27th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Martha, you say you were lucky...I say you were Blessed...luck had nothing to do with all the near-misses you had to your homes, and all the people being kept safe.
That was kind of you to treat all the crews. Yesterday, a crew of volunteers from St. Mark's Methodist Chuch in Seneca, SC, came and did some much needed repairs to my shack, and I was only able to offer water, but my gratitude was as great as yours for all the hard work, and like the crews at your home, the ones here did a great job, also.
Keep on doing such a good job of recognizing the people around you. I know they appreciate it a lot.
Thanks, Gloria!!
Posted by: Gloria | July 27th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
In situations like that I hope FEMA funds are available for the average person to deal with cleaning up such tree damage. I know that the National parks were slow to clear "easy" hiking trails after the storm of the century in 1991 or was it 1992 -anyway , the easy trail was hard. Just be wary when visiting the parks and trails in that neck of the woods downed trees blocked pathways. How did the Bedford riding trials survive was there similar damage to the bridal paths?? were any Guy Wolffe pots destroyed??
Posted by: kathleen | July 27th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
i'm sorry to hear about the tornado that ripped through your area, the damage that your farm's sustained looked minimal according to the picture you've posted. i've seen some real vicious tornados.
Posted by: tikahar | July 27th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Wow! Mother Nature is so powerful! So glad no one got hurt! The homemade goodies look great
Posted by: Wendy | July 27th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
MARTHA,GLAD YOU ARE OKAY, ALONG WITH YOUR HELP, AND ALL THE ANIMALS. WERE YOUR HORSES RATTLED AT ALL? AND THE NEW BABY SHEEP.THAT TREE NEAR THE HOUSE,WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.AND AFTER ALL THE CHRISTMAS TREES YOU PLANTED, ARE THEY OKAY...
Posted by: dolly | July 27th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Wow, Martha, I'm so glad no one was hurt! That poor little raccoon. I'm sure he didn't know what happened. That same thing happened here recently. It wasn't supposed to be a bad storm and it was early in the morning and was still dark. The sound of the wind was terrifying! Just as soon as I realized what was happening it was over. Didn't seem too bad until daylight when we saw the neighbor's house with a giant tree through the roof! There were trees down and damage all over the neighborhood! So scary how fast it can happen! A lot of times there is not enough warning to react.
Posted by: Alyzabeth | July 27th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
.
.
Again, I have been away, missing your life's spectacular footprinting around the world -- and to this I return!!!
.
Humbled sorrow for the upheaval of the soft, quiet and serene.
.
I am happy, however, that safety to yourself and home was literally inches in your favor!!
.
Was your signature tree, the grand maestro of Cantitoe spared?!
.
With Love and Concern,
Andrea and the Weimaraners
.
Posted by: Andrea and the Weimaraners | July 27th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Wow and ow. Tornadoes in New York? If this isn't climate change, I don't know what is.
Posted by: Elizabeth Gage | July 27th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Oh my! Poor trees, I'm so pleased no one was hurt. We had a hurricane here in the UK in 1987 which did similar damage and it took years for our woodland to recover. I hope your does more quickly.
Posted by: Liz@VioletPosy | July 27th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Martha, I'm just grateful no one was hurt. And you will rebuild, as you have in many ways many times before, so the farm will look even better than it did before the storm. And I have to laugh at the muffins, cake, etc...even in the aftermath of a horrible storm, you are such a gracious hostess!
Posted by: Amanda | July 27th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Hi Martha You did a terrific job of photographing this horrific event at your wonderful farm. That had to have been a twister or tornado that did that much damage to those lovely trees and the stone fences. Thank God nobody was hurt and none of your buildings were damaged. How great that you have such capable landscape workers and others to help improve everything. Kudos to all of them. Knowing you, I'm sure you will eventually plant more trees to replace those lost. How thoughtful of you to give those workers such delicious goodies to eat. Loved seeing you on the 'Today Show' this morning. Everything you made looked delicious and you looked fantastic! Stay cool and safe. Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | July 27th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
What a shock, to see all that damage! Glad to hear no one was injured.
Posted by: Tamara | July 27th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Dearest Martha,
Thank God you and family and friends were not hurt nor homes damaged.
The results were so devastating!
To quote Thomas Jefferson" I never before knew the full value of trees. Under them I breakfast,dine,write,read and receive my company."
The fire wood from them will certainly keep you and yours warm on cold winter days.
Be safe and God bless,
Deborah
Posted by: Deborah L Kozielec | July 27th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Martha, my heart aches for those old trees that were felled and for the horses' loss of shade. However, I'm very happy to hear that no one was injured and no buildings suffered damage. Thank you for posting the pictures. One really gets a sense of the devastation.
Very sweet of you to provide homemade goodies to the workers. I'm sure they appreciated it.
Posted by: Marcy | July 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
I'm sorry about the devastation to your farm, although you were lucky in many respects (as you know). Thanks for sharing your photos with everyone. All the best.
Posted by: Sue Fawcett | July 27th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Sorry to hear this.. Huge trees falling..Thank God no 1 hurt.. and to see the falling tree just an inches from the house was scary yet a miracle.
Posted by: Cathj | July 28th, 2010 at 12:14 am
Wow, looks like you were in Arkanasas. Tornadoes are common here, but 14 years ago we had stright line winds that did as much damage as a tornado.
Posted by: kathy hamlett | July 28th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Definitely looks like a tornado! Incredible amount of damage in a short amount of time. The pictures remind me of my small neighborhood after Hurricaine Ivan--and just as that huge tree missed your home, a large pine tree just missed our home. Thankfully Martha noone was hurt. Are the chickens okay?
Posted by: maria | July 28th, 2010 at 10:02 am
is it true Martha was filming a segment of her new Hallmark series at the farm when the twister struck? Will the entire new series be filmed at the bedford location? when did the shift move to a remote /on location series shoot???
Posted by: kathleen | July 28th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
So sorry, Martha. I know how you love your trees.
Posted by: jackie lamothe | July 28th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I was truly sorry to see so many magnificent trees lost.
Posted by: Vivian James | July 28th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Sorry to see all the damage on your property from that storm. Thank goodness you and everyone there are all right. I know it would have hurt my heart to see all those beautiful trees downed. See you on Hallmark.
Posted by: Rose Bain | July 29th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Look on the bright side, you can maybe have those fallen trees milled and some great furniture created!
Posted by: Tricia | July 29th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I'm sorry but that last image of monkey bread is so random and funny after all the other pics. It had me laughing! Those felled trees didn't though. Feel so sorry for them and relieved no one was hurt.
Posted by: Marie | July 29th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
You can repair houses and stone walls, but you can't "repair" trees. Very sad.
Posted by: Dane | July 29th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Damn gurl!
That's really serious.
Glad you're Okay.
Your farm is still gorgeous.
Be careful.
Posted by: Mike Bell | July 30th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
We had a tornado pass through our neighbourhood. I will never forget the sound of it. We lost a lot of trees, but the number one positive thing that happened was the kindness of people. We had a family from 60 miles away come and clear our property.
I will never forget the silence afterwards. The birds seem to disappear for a couple of days. It was very frightening.
I am now afraid of storm warning.
But again no one was hurt.
Posted by: Bonnie Ventresca | July 31st, 2010 at 4:23 pm
When I first saw 1 of 46 pic, not all that bad after a tornado, I thought. But after seeing the rest of the pictures, it is amazing the force of nature. It is true, you are lucky for your staff and family. No one likes to have damages whether its one tree, or a mass of trees. Aloha
Posted by: Henry U.S, Chong | August 3rd, 2010 at 2:05 am
As we know, your crew is still working on clearing up the fallen trees. You really had a lot of them. Just waiting to see what you'll do in place of the trees you lost.
Take care, Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | December 28th, 2010 at 12:14 am
This was also one of my favs! Hope you are having a lovely REST this holiday season and this goes for all of your fans too!
After a Whirlwind @ Lavish (the un-conference)with The Broke Socialite (Shameeka Ayers) at The Mansion on Peachtree (A Rosewood Resort) I spent some time in the 29 Spa to REST & RELAX!
So everyone please remember that Travel, Spa & Skincare Experiences are not a luxury, but essential to a healthy body and mind!
Here's another wonderful year! Thank you Martha for being there for us!
Ava Roxanne Stritt
Posted by: Ava Roxanne Stritt | December 28th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Hi Martha, When you have storms there at your Bedford Farm, they are outrageous and your photos are always stunning showing the affects of each storm. The clean-ups are outstanding by you superior ground crew! Can't wait to see what your farm looks like during the blizzard whiteout recently. So glad you got down to delightful St. Barts! Have a wonderful, relaxing time! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 28th, 2010 at 11:29 am
When your programme moved to Hallmark I was so disappointed because here in Montreal I cannot get that channel. I really miss watching the show but read the blog every day which makes up for it a little bit. I find them so interesting, informative and useful. It feels as though you share a little bit of your life with me and I love it. Long may it continue. Thank you so much and a very Happy New Year to you.
Posted by: Pam Long | December 28th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Wow, Martha that is really something.
We had rare tornadoes here in Eastern Montana this past summer. You can really see them coming here on the flat prairie. I will try to paste a link to my FB photo album so you can see them if you are interested.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13825&id=1147917323
Thanks for all you do!
Posted by: robin ball | December 28th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Martha,
Thank you so much for sharing this story. It is so tragic to lose long-loved plantings! However, I appreciate you reminding us during this season of giving to appreciate those workers who make our lives easier. I think I will make some sticky buns and/or monkey bread for my utility workers in the future.
Chin chin!
WWJ
Posted by: Whitney Worthington | December 28th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Martha, I certainly hope you are having a very very relaxing time on vacation. Missing you even though I know you are connected to us via twitter!
Posted by: KLBrown | December 28th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Martha, you were more than lucky-you were blessed.
I think a guardian angel must have stood next to your house and kept that tree just inches from it!
What an amazing picture!
Posted by: Marsha Tobias | December 28th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Martha!
Happy to knkow that no one was hurt before/after/during the terrble tornado fiasco!
While searching closet organizers, I found one of yours for adults. I'm looking for one for my daughter. my preferences are to have the shelves height/angle adjustable with storage for boots either on the side(s), above/beneath. Do you have anything like that? Would you consider a children's line of organizers, furniture, etc.?
Hopefully, this will help my daughter's room to look like a tornado never occurred!
Thank you!
Happy New Year!
Carrie L. Osgood-Millsap
Dallas, TX
Posted by: Carrie Osgood-Millsap | December 30th, 2010 at 3:36 am