Idle Thoughts of a Retired Dominie: Missing America

It is now a week ago that I arrived home from mu USA trip. Looking back, the time passed very quickly.
I did achieve many of the ambitions with which I left Scotland.
I enjoyed the TFP Conference at Spring Grove in Pa. I enjoyed the chance to re visit Gettysburg Battlefield. It was a good experience to re visit the TFP Academy up in Herndon Pa.
In the second part of my break, I drove down to Virginia, where my hopes were exceeded. More of that in other blogs.

I was there in York Pa as Hurricane Sandy approached. You could not miss the warnings. It was not a pleasant thought. My main worry was if the power was lost in the area. I pondered the prospect of being in an area with no heating, lighting or food prospects, as the Hotel I was staying in was bed and continental breakfast only.

In the event, where I was escaped relatively easy. There was rain! There were floods! There were trees down all over the place. But, thank God, the p0wer lines stayed unbroken.

The first sign we saw of approaching Sandy was on the Sunday evening. The end of the Conference was celebrated at a solemn High Mass for the Feast of Christ The King at St. Mary's in York.

As we emerged at the end of Mass, the first rain drops were falling and the traffic signals were beginning to blow in the wind. But it was nothing remarkable.....yet. The worst was due on Monday evening. The problem was the storm was so vast and slow moving.

On the Monday morning I awoke to rain and wind, and a soaking room carpet by window as the rain was driven against the wall.
After breakfast I decided that if I drove carefully, I could motor east towards Lancaster and Amish Country. They have a system on the Highway where if the warning lights are flashing, you tune in to a dedicated radio service which gives the latest information. I did so.

In about an hour I reached Lancaster. There was not much traffic on the Highway. At the Amish Farm, they were about to close due to the increasing weather and the fact that there had been no visitors. But they stayed open for me and gave me the tour, albeit a shortened tour. I found it interesting and informative.

Emerging from the farm, it seemed prudent to abandon a further exploration, and I decided to head back to the hotel. There was a "Wendy's" nearby. I stopped there for a coffee and a burger, then continued back to York. The radio was broadcasting that speed limit in force was 40mph, and that all trucks had to leave the highway. In an hour I was safely back at York, but it was clear that almost every school, factory, shopping mall and restaurants were now closed, and would remain that way till Wednesday.

I decided to remain in the hotel and worry about a meal later. But at 5.30 pm, I got a phone call inviting me to a Communion Service at Spring Grove. I would be collected.
At 6.15pm my driver arrived. the Hotel clerk questioned the wisdom of going out just as the peak of the storm was passing over York. My driver smiled and said, "He does not realise we have Our Lady and the Angels to guide us."

And they did. We made it to Spring Grove through the wind, rain and floods. And after the service, the driver knew of the only eating place still open back in York. So, with 4 in one car, and 3 in another, we made our way on near empty roads to York, where I had the most delicious well done steak of my holiday!

We emerged to yet more rain and wind, and within 5 minutes I was safely back in my Hotel. The worst of Sandy had passed over. We were all safe and well. No great damage had been done to us, unlike New York and New Jersey, where even tonight, thousands are still without light and heating.