Tuesday Hermine blew through. It dumped 15 inches of rain on the West side of town and the next town up. East side (our side) it only dumped 6 inches of rain. This first picture is the big grassy field that we usually walk through on the walk. It’s the short cut.
This morning we made our weekly trek to the grocery store on Saturday mornings. I enjoy the walk on most Saturdays. It isn’t really long (only about 4.5 miles round trip) and the weather hasn’t been terrible (but this morning was kind of humid and my feet are particularly achey. The walk today was an adventure.
Tuesday’s 6 inches of rain (on our side of town) and everyone else’s 15 inches of rain managed to do a lot of flooding. People were removed from their homes less than 4 miles away. Roads had rivers running through them when I drove to work on Wednesday morning. It was amazing the way the water was.
But here it is 4 days later. Who would have thought that the grassy field we walk through to the pool would be under water… here on the right is the still under water walk way they just put in less than a month ago. I’m pretty sure they are going to have to reseed the grass. By the looks of the mud that is washed with gullies, the water had some power here, even just in the overflow area. When we were on our way back from the walk, there were swimsuit clad families playing in the newly formed pond, enjoying it before it goes down the whole way, but after it isn’t quite so dangerous.
The water this morning was not quite covering the bridge deck. The water was just over the deck, and probably would have been deeper if it wasn’t for the brush on the upstream side still kind of damming it back. As it was, it was just okay to walk on it in running shoes. The water level actually went down about an inch during our 90 min walk. A couple days ago… her 100 acre woods would have mostly been a 100 acre duck pond…
Today I realized something…
When I was a kid, we lived where rivers froze over. Not like where lakes freeze over and you can ice fish, but you could drag 55 gallon drums out onto the ice and you could walk across the river. I never actually got to see the ice before it started to “go out” but every year that it froze like that we would drive to one particular parking lot to spend the day watching the ice flow down the river… watching the ice go out and watching to hope to see it back up and cause a flood.
When I was a kid, I always thought it was a morbid way to spend the day… hoping to see destruction. I also spent the entire day throwing up because no matter when it was, I always got sick sitting there watching the ice. I’m pretty sure now it was motion sickness. I was always told it was my imagination (most everything was back then… )
I never understood the fascination my family felt at sitting in Brady’s Bend watching the water for an entire day.
Now, I kind of understand.
I stood here watching the 4 foot holes in the cement pour out water down the creek…. there was so much water coming out of the holes and watching it and understanding that this has been happening for FOUR days… FOUR DAYS… non stop… four days and the pond is still in the grassy field.
I could have sat on the top of this cement and just watched the water. Listened to the water… watched the leaves on the low hanging branches dance in the receding water.
I’m not sure if you have to get to a certain age to appreciate the experience but today I got it.
I have always loved sitting and watching the water in the creek… listened to the quite song… written poetry about the dancing water, the rocks, the leaves, whatever.
Okay I’m totally weird
I’ve always enjoyed the water (pretty sure that is hereditary)
But today I learned that I enjoy the power of the water while I’m far enough away to be safe.
A Figment Of Fitness 