Days 1-3 we did not have our camera on us (it was lost in the boxes of crap to unpack) so we don't remember a lot. It was hot. Very hot. We saw at least one deer every day and a couple of nesting snapping turtles.
Day 4 we arrived at Beartown Reservation around 7:30am, just as a storm was skirting us to the northeast. As we pulled in we realized that the clouds had gotten darker and the system seemed to shift to the southeast, taking aim at the little park. Within two or three minutes the sky had turned green and black. It was nearing 8am and it looked like midnight. We made a break from the car to the park bathrooms and took shelter from the wind and rain (I didn't feel the car was a safe place once we saw debris falling from the sky and not the trees that surrounded us). We spent a good 20 minutes in there, waiting for the rain to let up. It didn't, so we hopped in the car and took off towards Chagrin Falls. The rain didn't stop for another hour. The thunder didn't stop for another two.
Driving into Chagrin Falls, we saw major tree damage, power outages and debris, but as soon as we hit downtown Chagrin (about 500 feet to the north of the damaged area), everything was virtually untouched with full power. We would have like to have seen what happened there. An unconfirmed EF1? Straight line winds? Whatever it was, it looked interesting from our point of view.
The weather this last week has been brutal, mid-high 90's and humidity usually reserved for the tropics. We've taken refuge at the local library on more than one occasion and have been reintroduced to what a nice service it is. Free air conditioning, free comfy chairs to sit and read in, free internet/computer access. All in all it's quite a comfortable place to waste time. The computers have come in extremely handy as we've been able to put out a bunch of resumes and job applications. Which leads us to...
Day 5. Cristen had a job interview and she got the job! Nothing huge, but a seemingly stable, well paying position at a hotel in a neighboring town. We know it's not something that is going to get us out of our situation tomorrow or next week, but within her first two to three paychecks we can find a place to stay! Hope is once again restored.
River walking at Sulphur Springs was a must on a 93 degree (felt like 101) day. It was beautiful, the sun reflected off of the trees and turned their leaves a vibrant green. The limestone along the river bed was smooth, at times slippery, the water clear and cold. Everything was wonderful. Until Cristen slipped and fell. No major injuries, just slight bruising and swelling. She did say she wanted to go for a dip!
Our attempt to hide from the heat at the library today failed miserably when their power went out it took 15 minutes for the computers to reboot and the a/c went off.
All in all Day 5 (and whichever day Cristen applied to her new place of employment, she doesn't remember doing it) was a success and we're actually enjoying the time we get to spend in the woods and heat.
