So we got high winds today in NW Indiana. 55 plus MPH gusts, sustained 40…

And, of course, that leads to trees falling.

Which is what happened on a state highway here on my way from one appointment to another.

A fairly large-ish tree fell across the road, stopping traffic in both directions.

Some folks turned around; me, I got out and went to see what was holding up traffic.

Several other men did as well.

I had the car, not the truck, so no saw, but I did have a camp axe in the car. 2 other dudes had small chainsaws.

Between us, and with the help of another half dozen or so guys, we got the pieces of tree mostly piled up on the sides of the road….got the mess cleaned up such that cars could get by and traffic could flow in both directions.

The Porter County sheriff (two of them, one in uniform, the other (I think) off duty) showed up late, were NOT helpful, and actively discouraged the folks moving the broken tree…and generally just got in the way (although they did turn their lights on). We ignored their orders and just got on with it. Frustrated the uniformed one to no end.

In less that 15 minutes we had the road cleared enough, and were on our way.

No one led, no one gave orders, we just pitched in and worked together. Amazing how much mass a half dozen men can drag off the road when they work together. Guys just stepped up and lent a hand and we got things done. No one asked what to do, we just did it.  We actually had more hands than we had work at the end as more and more men got out of their cars and came to help.

Funny how communities of european ancestry folks do shit, innit?