A tree falls in New Hyde Park

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound? a famous philosophical riddle.
A mighty oak crashed on our block on the last day of June, 2009.
We live in the area of New Hyde Park known as "The Oaks." This oak was so tall that it made it across the street to the opposite neighbor's door I did not hear it fall. I was outside with Liam relaxing , reading, feeling good. I had just returned from the gym and felt that I deserved this respite. Liam heard it and felt it. He looked around ran to the side of the house stood in the middle of the backyard. I thought he was playing. I heard the fire trucks, the police cars screaming by. Only then did I get up, walk to the side and meet my dear neighbor. What is happening? Seems a tree, four houses down, was eaten by termites to the point where it toppled, sending the tree to its death. No one was underneath, No car was hit. A miracle.
All who were present on the block described it as a huge explosive thud, earthquakish in its vibration.

I did not hear a sound.

If tree falls in New Hyde Park, and one of the residents does not hear it, it still makes a sound.

The time of the tree crashing was about 3PM. At that point all electricity was lost, no phone, cable/no TV, Internet.

Positives:
I have a blackberry It was fully charged.
Only our block was affected; so we could go somewhere.
It was summer , we would not freeze inside homes.
Most TV shows were repeats; we were not missing a new episode of House, Lost, Survivor.
There was daylight until 8:45 or so

Negatives:
There was no TV and there are shows to watch (some are both positive and negative)
No Internet
No microwave
No stove
No lights
No AC
No Fan

Timeline of Events

last six months- termites eating through tree at 39 Baxter, yummy, invisible to residents on the block.

2:58 PM, June 30, 2009 Termites finish their work, tree starts to crack towards the street.

3:PM Tree smashes into street causing huge explosive noise plus tremendous vibrations (so I am told)

3:20 PM start hanging with the neighbors

3:45 PM police evacuate 5 families; there are live wires

4:00 PM -Stump, the Firefighter marches to the scene ( his form evokes the stumps that will later be left of the oaks)

5:00-6:00PM - I meet neighbors I have never met- a lovely Irish family, Gizmo's Mom, (that is Liam's dog friend in back) A nice cop. I now have a fix on where folks live. Only 20 years since I moved in. About time.I find out there is a 92 year old woman on our block where, what house?

6:PM Paul comes home. Those arriving after crash must park on Leonard Blvd, the street bordering ours- as Baxter Avenue is barricaded by police on both ends. We are free to leave only on foot. We can call people to pick us up but must walk to a location away from our street. Much alarm about live wires, fire potential, crime, burglary, acts of mayhem.

7:PM Paul suggests we go out to eat. This is what others are doing. I know though, that it will be like an afternoon wedding reception for me. A few hours of fun , then nothing.
Paul then suggests we pretend we are on the reality show Survivor and forage in the house, make fire, all that Survivor stuff. He suggests cereal and turkey cold cuts and saltines. I glumly tell him I have had all during the day and that Survivor contestants have the prize of a possible one million dollars.

7:30 PM We mercifully have some wine we can guzzle and I am permitted to light some candles. Paul is terrified of live candles -I have some flame less ones and flashlights.

Paul is fine with all this lack of connection to the world. He should have lived in the Flintstone Era He likes listening to the radio ( we have batteries) never goes online, hates the phone, can eat cold cuts and cereal with wine happily. His cheerfulness really annoys me. I prefer his usual Germanic stoicism and passive aggressive behavior towards my communication devices- my Blackberry, Cable shows, Internet etc.
Who is this sudden boy scout?
My only revenge is to light more candles, but that gives me little joy. We have a "dead" house- no communication.

7:55 PM massive thunderstorm last day to break June record for most rainfall

8:00-10:00PM. we sit at the kitchen counter with two candles, cereal, turkey, saltines, peanut butter, candle, wine and chattering away like we are on a camping trip. I am on my BB watching the power ebb . I will have to go to Walgreen's (open all night) to recharge.

11:30PM - We finish the wine, Paul announces time for bed. Well I cannot sleep, ever, so I bid him farewell and look at the still dark street with flares.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 We leave the "hood" and visit the High Line in the NYC west side meatpacking district. I cannot stay in a dead zone.-and that is what our house is.
Cable is back when we return late Wednesday. so now we have, TV Internet. No land line. Verizon works for four days-still no service by Saturday, July 4th

Monday, July 6, , two neighbors hire tree cutters to cut down their oaks fearful that termites will attack and cause crashes. We now have three oaks gone, in a neighborhood called "The Oaks"

I am upstairs and hear my neighbor 2 houses away scold the tree cutters "you are late, it is 8:20, you were scheduled for 8." I marvel at her chutzpa as these men have sophisticated axes and saws attached to trucks with giant churning machines. She could be mincemeat in no timeI heard her say this, but did not hear a tree fall that sounded like a volcanic eruption.
I have been out in the street a lot during this tree falling event. Prior to my retirement things occurred and I never knew. Now I pop out immediately. Paul has dubbed me the Desperate Housewife of New Hyde Park.

Questions:

What kind of hearing do I have? I did not hear a tree crash that neighbors attest felt like an earthquake and sounded like an explosion.
A few days later, I did hear my female neighbor's voice asking a question on the opposite side of the block in a conversational tone.
Is this dog hearing?

Where are all those neighbors who were in the street that afternoon and evening. never saw most again. The easy camaraderie of that night has receded until the next event.

How many oaks must be on the block for us to still be the Oaks ?

Miracles
On Sunday night June 28, 2009, an 18 -wheeler pulled up and deposited a car in front of my house, it had Texas plates. This car had travelled from Texas Its owner picked it up Monday, June 29.
How terrible would it have been to have been squished by an oak? Spared by one day. see same spot next day-only emergency vehicles

Not one car was parked on either side under the tree.

No one was walking by when the tree fell.

no kids, no dogs were smashed.
a rainbow and peace.
Liam is on guard for the next crash

He has to be I will not hear.

Woof, woof