In the short span of 14 days, Western Tidewater has had two significant confrontations with Mother Nature. The storm on July 10, which did most of its damage in the Capron area, as well as the one this past Thursday, which cut a swath from Courtland to Hunterdale and then on to Sedley, caused a fair amount of property damage and uprooted countless trees. But for all of the inconvenience they caused and the mess left in their wake, neither event caused a significant injury or loss of life. For that, and for the first responders and electrical workers who reacted so quickly to keep our friends and neighbors safe and secure, we are thankful. It doesn’t take but to look at the tragedy that occurred on the Eastern Shore to remind us of how lucky and blessed we really are.