Aftermath part two & pork pies!

Yippeeee, yeah we've got power back!

After 5 days of darkness we finally have power back at the apartment, which is a very welcome event, even thought it's meant that for most of the day I've been playing Mrs Mop and cleaning up the apartment, cleaning out the refrigerator. We've got running water, although because of the storm we have to boil it before we can use it. However, that didn't stop me from having an extra long hot shower!

There are still some 9000 odd folks without power in the Southern Illinois area, which may sound a lot, but consider the amount that were in the dark 5 days ago and it's a remarkable achievement. Even though we've been without power for 5 days I have nothing by praise for the electrical company workers that have worked so hard to restore power to all, considering how many power lines were down. Apparently all but one of the major local substations in this area were directly hit, in a once in a life time event which hampered the resurrection operation.

Now the power is back I've been able to upload this video I shot from the balcony here in Carteville of Fridays tornado/inland hurricane, mainly because of the noise, I've never heard anything like it. Sadly, just after I put the camera down one of the trees was ripped from the soil and tossed aside like a child's play thing.

Curfew

We're not allowed out, nope, there is still a curfew in effect for Carterville from 8pm to 7am which is enforced by the local sheriff's officers. Get caught out and about during curfew without a proper reason and it's an instant ticket and a big fine. And if that wasn't enough to keep us home, the local TV stations have forecast another heavy storm tonight! Not only that, but the National Weather Service has placed a Tornado watch in this area! Yes another bloody one, something to do with high pressure here now, causing the temperature to be up around 80 and a low pressure front sliding in with strong winds and plenty of thunder!

Every time the clouds darken the sky or the wind gusts more than a breeze, I do wonder if it's another tornado/inland hurricane building up to cause mayhem, devastation and destruction. I'm not too worried tho, I've had 6 cups of coffee today, I've got a box of snacks and a pound of Hershey chocolate and two bottles of vodka to see me through whatever the eventuality.

In other news.

Strange things happen up north, that's what I say, but perhaps being a southerner, I would say that, but really, when I saw this story on the net the other day, it made me smile, English folk are quite crackers really, especially those north of Watford, which is the border line between north and south, at least in the Southerner's handbook to life!

It's the story of a wedding cake with a twist, that gave one couple in Lincoln a bit of a s surprise after they trotted down the aisle. I guess this isn't everyones cup of tea, but for bride and groom Emma and John Kent it was the perfect antidote to fruit and frosting. For their wedding cake was four tiers of pork pie! Yep, it's aint a hoax, it aint a con, it's real, it's true and it was up in Lincoln. Mr Kent (the groom) was delighted with the surprise, as pork pie is one of his favourite treats. "I was very surprised," he told the local paper. "I had no idea it had been made but it was fantastic. "It was all eaten up well before the end of the night and everyone thought it was the best they had ever tasted."

Sitting in pride of place in Roger Papworth's butchers shop in Woodhall Spa, the porky delight was ordered by John Dixon from Nettleham for his daughter's wedding last Saturday. "It's really for the groom because he loves pork pie so much," said Mr Papworth. "I think it could catch on because when you think about it a weeding cake that size which will feed about 100 people would cost about £600. But one like this would cost about £150." Errrm catch on...... I think not, but perhaps you've got other idea's, will this porky treat start a new wave of wedding cakes with a difference? Is this just the start of funny fillings?

That's ya lot till the next time.