Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sometimes, All We Are Left With Are Memories

One of the great aspects about being a married couple is that there are certain places and things that add special meaning to your relationship. While those special places and things may not have the same meaning to someone else, that's alright because that's what makes it special. Maybe it's a park bench where he proposed. Maybe it's the way she blows bubbles in her chocolate milk. Maybe it's a now five year old box of macaroni and cheese he gave her on their first date because he knew it's her favorite food. Whatever it is, it's the little things that tend to be near and dear to us, but sometimes all we are left with are the memories.

The reason I speak about this topic is because, as I'm sure everyone knows, Hurricane Irene recently ripped up the East Coast. It hit some areas more severely than others, but left the towns it did hit without looking back. Reports are saying that it was the worst hurricane New Jersey has ever felt. Anne & I are lucky in that we did not lose power or experience any other major damage to our home. Some trees fell, but that's about the extent of it. Other areas were not so fortunate.

This Summer we vacationed in the Catskill Mountains in the towns of Denver, Margaretteville, and Prattsville, NY. These towns were the go-to destinations in the early 1900's. They used to be Summer vacation hot-spots for families back then. Over time, their economy's slipped but the small-town feel is still very appealing. In fact, Winter is now their big season because skiing is very popular there.

                                                Downtown Margaretteville, NY. Pre-Irene

                                                 
                                             Me - Downtown Margaretteville - Summer, June 2011.


                                        Anne - Downtown Margaretteville - Summer, June 2011.


What you are about to see is downtown Margaretteville post-Irene:

 Photo from HuffingtonPost.com

Below is just a peek at what Prattsville, NY looks like now:

Photo from CNN.com

While Anne & I will now only have the memories of our vacations in the Catskills, that cannot even begin to compare to losing everything! Prattsville has a population of just 700, but nearly every single home was demolished in Irene's wake. There is now a relief effort that has been formed, and you can donate to help rebuild this small town. The relief effort is run by WIOX, a radio station in Roxbury, NY. The number to donate (by check or credit card) is 607-432-1030.



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