Dawn down

I was away in Philadelphia this weekend, so when I finally returned home last night--after running through four--four!--cancelled flights--there was little time to do much in the way of preparations for Hurricane Sandy.  My husband cleaned leaves out of the gutters, I brought in some potted plants, and we sheared back the "New Dawn" climbing rose so its trellis would catch less wind. Turns out that in the case of that last task, we were no match for Mother Nature: about a half hour into the storm, the trellis pulled free from the side of the house and smashed to pieces.

After the winds calm, the rains cease, and the canes are untangled from the lattice work, I'll be trying out a new technique for over-wintering this rose.  Maybe something with stakes and burlap?  Or a conical hoop and sheet foam?  Researching the options was a good way to pass time this afternoon--and to take my mind off the weeping beech branch poking through the attic roof.  Yes, we're pretty battered here.