Thursday, May 5, 2011

We Got A Little Rain

In Fact, between April 22nd and May 2nd we got 17.05 inches of rain.

I took this photo of our (and I say that so very fondly: "our") Flood Wall while I walked the dogs yesterday. Note the glorious blue sky. We had forgotten what that was. Blue sky.

Thanks to photos that journalist Eddie Grant took and put on Facebook, I can show you what is on the other side of the flood wall. I think it was taken almost at the very same time, because I think I saw him flying around in the sky (that same blue sky) while we were walking.


See the small dark roof in front of the red X? That is the red building in front of the car in the top photo. That red X is where the dogs were tied back on March 28 in the photo below. And I thought the river was high then!


Here's another red X where they were standing when I took the above photo in March:


We didn't walk in the River Park:

Have I mentioned how grateful I am to the folks in 1947 who built our flood wall? The arrow points to our home, in another aerial shot by Eddie Grant.

It is so strange. Neighbors just 4 miles away have lost their businesses. Folks who live along little creeks are completely under water. Our local NPR station, the marvelous WKMS, posted a Community Relief Fund where we could send donations.

My sweet friend Heather, (Emmett's mom, and Baby Ben who is NOT a baby anymore, but a fine young man's mom), is an avid and accomplished sailor. She has a new boat in her driveway. She said if the flood wall broke, she would sail down and get us all. That was a comfort.

Really, we are in the safest place, as long as the flood wall holds. I think today is the crest. The Army Corps of Engineers blew up a levee on the Mississippi River, flooding130,000 acres of farmland in Missouri, to save some of the towns above it. It did relieve our river some.

But oh, those poor farmers. I can't even imagine. The photos are devastating. And people comment on them on Facebook. "That was my grandfather's house." "There's our family farm. It's been in our family for generations." Being human is all about being resilient.

The dogs can't seem to soak up enough sunshine. The puppy is so very very glad to be able to pee and poop without being rained on.


I don't think I'll ever live this close to big water again. It is an awesome, uncontrollable, powerful beast.

I love the gentle mountains, off in the distance. I like my horizons lumpy.

Which says a lot about me!

hug your hounds

10 comments:

  1. I heard on NPR that they are putting more holes in the levee today? We grew up within miles of the Mississippi, went to graduate school on the "other" side of the river, and then moved to the desert. I thought I could handle the water, but this spring is giving me cause to rethink retirement.

    Two words for the day. "Lexington, Virginia."
    b

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know we were looking at and around Lexington, VA when Bill saw the ad for the Artist Relocation Program in Paducah. I LOVE it there!

    ReplyDelete
  3. They just mentioned the flooding near Paducah on Good Morning America. Stay safe and dry Patience, Bill and the hounds!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh man. I am so sorry about this. But glad to know you are above it all. At about 1:20 on your video I stopped freaking out and started to crack up.

    You can't do anything about a river that big with as much water as it has in it right now. Love you Patience.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh dog lovers, if you have a moment, please visit me because I have a bit of a problem right now. Your input is something I need.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm here from Kerry's. I thought you left a great comment there.

    I'm so sorry for all that flooding. I actually live across the street from a designated flood zone, but don't have flood insurance because it's so expensive--especially given that I do have earthquake insurance.

    And what's up with Texas? Imagine having a severe drought in your wet season! And then those tornadoes in the Southeast! I wonder how much, if any, of all this wild weather is connected to global warming.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Francarrich from WWMay 9, 2011 at 11:29 AM

    Hope you've got some sandbags ready just in case, Patience!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello Patience. Haven't visited for awhile so I popped over to say a belated happy Nurses' Day. When I saw your pooped out photo I had to smile. Been there, etc. I knew Paducah had a close call. We had flooding out in the county over the road. Enough to cancel school for a couple of days. Blogger has been driving me batty and everyone else for days. Oh well. Blessings
    QMM

    ReplyDelete
  9. Martha,P-Doggy, and CheMay 16, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    dear P,I like my horizons lumpy (and my skies blue!) too! And none of us like the ground soggy,either!

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW. Just read your new entry. I want to join you in a chair looking out on that field and those mountains.

    ReplyDelete

Love your comments! Love them we do. Don't be bashful! Thank you for visiting :-)