'We Feel Very Fortunate'

Janet Ducharme and her family were in their house at 86 Walnut St. around noon Monday when they heard "a huge crack."

"The next thing we knew, there was a tree on our roof," Ducharme said from her porch Tuesday morning, as workers from Amazon Tree Service removed and chopped up the large pine that was no match for Hurricane Sandy.

The Ducharmes' home was among nearly a dozen in Natick that reportedly had trees fall on or near their property yesterday. Damage in town was limited to power lines and property; no one was injured.

"My husband and I lived in Miami as newlyweds, and we went through Hurricane Andrew," said Ducharme, a teacher at Johnson Elementary School. "This is nothing. No one was hurt. Granted, if I had a huge hole in my house, I'd be bummed."

An insurance adjustor combed the Ducharme property yesterday. Ducharme said there was some tile damage to the roof, but the tree didn't break any windows, nor did it breach the house. The family also never lost power.

"We feel very fortunate," she said.

Her neighbors at 88 Walnut St., Robert and Theresa Schmalenberger, weren't as lucky. The tree fell on Robert's trusty canoe and took out a portion of their fence.

Still, however, they're keeping it in perspective.

"I come from New York," Robert said as he removed caution tape from the area where the tree had been hanging before it was removed. "They really got hit."