The Branch Inn

It's been nearly a week since the trip into the historic district. It was a trip that was unlike any other I'd taken into that part of the city. It wasn't just the fact it smelled funny because of the explosion, or that there were two buildings no longer there, but the fact we had to backtrack and walk behind the buildings to get around.




The pictures are pretty standard of what anyone would take. The ATF was here to help with the investigation. There were clothing racks, pumpkins, and stools appearing to be untouched while chaos ruled the rest of the place. Glass was thick and shattered all over the sidewalks. It was an eery feeling to know my usual parking place was currently buried under rubble. But the fact that only one young woman died and 7 others were injured and survived was heavy in the air. We left a message on the makeshift memorial for Ashley Johnson and just marveled at the fact more people weren't killed or hurt.





The official cause has been ruled a natural gas leak with the buildup storing itself in the basement of Branch Inn. Gino, the 74-yr old pulled last from the rubble, was in the basement when the blast occurred. Nobody smelled anything except what they thought was sewage. It was explained, but I can't remember how. Essentially it came down to that sewer smell being the gas and not recognized due to how it traveled, etc. Nobody's fault, just an accident.




I am slowly healing. Things are just not going as fast as I would like, but that's the way the body works. I'm just not patient. It's going to take a long time, despite having had good tone. That annoys me, but it's better than getting into trouble. This is the reason I waited until summer was over...something I am very happy to have done.

Dad came into town last night for Thanksgiving. It's great to have a full house for the holiday, and it makes cooking a feast so much more fun. There are a few times in the year I like to go crazy in the kitchen, Thanksgiving being one. It's just difficult when the normal thing results in so many leftovers that we can't get through them all! But it's going to be a fun one.

Suffice to say, it's been a strange November, but I'll appreciate it for a long time....