A Sunday afternoon drive through central Vermont. The sun was up and it looked like a beautiful day.  On the surface it was a beautiful day. But on closer look, you could see that things were different than they were in August. Hurricane Irene has changed the people and the countryside.

Many of the main roads have fresh pavement and new guardrails; a tremendous amount of work has been accomplished in the few short weeks since the storm, but many of the side roads were still roped off.

The normal stops were closed, when you would think they would be open and getting ready for the “busy” season that comes when the ski areas start to open. As you look closely, you can see they are actually more than closed, they are destroyed, having succumbed to the forces of the water.

You look up the hillside where the streams and brooks run down, and they look like lacerations and gashes violating the Green Mountains.

The lakes don’t have that clean, mountain-lake look; they look more like chocolate milk. Large trees sticking out of the water that weren’t there before. At the sides of the rivers you see bare rocks, missing trees and the rough-hewn timber that held up a barn for 150 years. You see remnants of what was, destruction of peoples’ lives and livelihoods.

It’s scary how in today’s world – where we think we can control so many things – we still are at the mercy of nature.

At this time of year it is important to remember what is really important in this world.

Our families, our friends, their safety, health and happiness.