Peeling Back the Layers

Reading through the Durango Herald this morning and tucked on page 7A was an article hard to pass over:
http://durangoherald.com/article/20121130/NEWS03/121139989.......................honestly had not thought about Liberty Island and Ellis Island and how they weathered the storm.

There are so many layers that continue to be peeled back in the aftermath of this super storm, a challenge to comprehend the depth of the destruction.

And, then, a bright spot:

The following is the story behind the photo as posted on Jersey Shore Hurricane News FaceBook page:

#njsandy Madeline Wagner shares: "This is what we came home to after the storm in Seaside Park, NJ. This is a special rose that my brother in heaven, Michael, sends us every December since we planted this bush. Nothing much grows from it except for this special rose. Thanks, Mike!!!!" — with Kheir-El Din Sammakieh.