Over the past two weeks, I have spoken more about nature than I think nearly any other topic.
About two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene wiped out much of the areas in Florida where I have vacationed my whole life. I’ve been glued to news channels and social media posts, and the devastation is incredible. So many people have lost their homes and belongings. The hurricane destroyed small communities around the state of Florida, and what can I do from afar? Hope for a speedy clean-up. Hope for community efforts. Bring my tourism dollars back to the community when it reopens.
Just a few days ago, Hurricane Milton landed in the same area of western Florida. The heart of the storm touched down in Siesta Key on the Gulf coast. The destruction continued, resulting in millions of people without power, more flooding, and havoc on Floridian communities. The clean-up from these two storms will take so much time. Sigh.
Among these terrible storms, we had an amazing light show last night here in Waterloo with the Northern Lights dancing in the sky. We drove to St. Jacobs, and we were amazed by the number of cars parked on country side roads where people of all ages had set up tripods for their cameras. The colours in the sky were magical. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Jaw-dropping. It was so lovely.
And this morning, as I walked around Waterloo Park, I became mesmerized by the changing colours on the trees. The fall colours are remarkable.
Nature. Vicious and spectacular.