These Are Our People.

We live in a community of small towns.   Clusters of farming communities spring up between the larger, gentrified cities.   We know our neighbors, know who sells the good hay, who puts on a good rummage sale, who has the best fish fry.

Coco recently had a day off for conferences, and we went in to Stockbridge for the morning before we met with her teacher.  We mailed things at the post office, ate lunch at the diner, and got a good cup of coffee at the little coffee shop.  We chatted with Larry who runs the antique mall, whose uncle once owned Uncle Ken's house.  We went into the pharmacy and bought baked goods from the little girls raising money for their choir trip.  "Does the carrot cake have raisins?"  Joe asks..."I don't know, my grandma made everything" said the little doe eyed girl.  Your grandma?  Great, we'll take one of everything.  We walked through town, munching on cookies and pumpkin bars, being grateful for small town life.

Last night we witnessed small town life go into action.  I'm in Cincinnati, and I started getting panicked texts asking if we were ok....???  We're ok, wait - what's going on there...panic.  Joe said it was sunny at our house, but he was watching the storm in the distance.  Al had him put the cars in the barn, not knowing where the storm would hit - where the tornado would hit.  It hit Dexter.

Our beloved community of 8 years.  We love Dexter.  It's where our friends live.  It's where our people live.  Frantic texts went out.  Charity wasn't responding, Kelly wasn't responding....helplessness.  Finally everyone accounted for, and then Facebook kicked into action.  Pics and videos of the giant beast.   Busch's opened their freezers to everyone.  Hackney Hardware would open early today and  have supplies delivered all day.  The mill got hit.  The pine trees are down on Fleming.  Everyone heard the roar of the freight train, everyone thought it was coming right for them.  Kelly said there were sheds flying in the funnel could.  Sheds.  Good God.

Tragedies hit small towns, and then small towns jump into action.  Alex set off with the mule, a chain saw, and a good heart.  The Lesser men helped neighbors through the night, tarping holes and roofs.   This is what hope is made of.  We know our neighbors, we love our community.  These are our people.

13 Homes destroyed, many many damaged, No One Injured. Aerial Footage of the aftermath.

Photo Credit to David Rossiter, WILX News 10