I found this post unfinished in my draft file, wow what a blur the last few weeks have been!  Rather than change it, I am posting it in the spirit that it was written in a couple of weeks ago.

Tropical Storm Fay dropped more rain on Brevard County Florida than anywhere else, more than all of the 2004 hurricanes did in Florida all together!  There are many people homeless and suffering as I write this, and there are good stories starting to rise to the top.  Many good neighbor stories and community efforts are seen more and more.  One of them stood out to us the day after the storm finally cleared. 

We Witnessed The Good In People in Our Own Front Yard!

Business slowed some the week of the storm for obvious reasons, Internet interruptions, inability to travel and so forth.  My husband is the police chief in Rockledge where we live.  Needless to say, this week was a long one.  The first day of the storm a 30 foot tree was knocked down by the wind in our front yard.  We cleared enough to get in the driveway and went on.  My husband and son started clearing the tree on Friday after the storm was clearing.  Shortly after starting, the chainsaw stopped working and that was the end of that for the night. 

Fast Forward to Saturday Morning on the First Sunny Day in a Week

The doorbell rang on Saturday morning.  Our neighbor across the street stood there with two chainsaws asking if we would allow him to cut the tree up!  Now, he had no way of knowing that our chainsaw was broke!  He told my husband that he knew he had been working 24/7 all week and wanted to help us out.  This seemingly small act of kindness sent our spirits soaring after a long and gloomy week! 

The good in people can be found whenever neighbors are in need, it is something that we should all remember.  Hurricane Gustav is barreling through the Gulf as i write this.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are in harms way.  This storm will bring forth many stories of heroes behind the scenes who help others out in an unselfish manner like our neighbor did. 

Topping it off, another neighbor in our subdivision of Timbers West in Rockledge Florida stopped my husband yesterday on the way home.  Seems he has some 12 foot oak trees in containers that he has no need for and gave us one to replace the tree we lost!  It is so wonderful living in a great town known for the kindness between neighbors.  We are truly blessed!