May 24, 2015

What a Night!

May 24, 2015

Ron putting out sand bags at our office

When I was getting ready to go to bed last night I had been watching the weather and keeping tabs on a storm system moving our way.  They had flash flood warnings for our area, but you just never know.  The weather predictions are so often wrong and the last few days only the upper valley had been getting the rains.  At 3:00 I woke and looked out the window.  It was raining, but not real hard; the lightening and thunder were almost constant.  I moved to the recliner in the sewing room and opened all the curtains and watched.  About 3:30 I became aware that Ron was up and moving about.  I checked on him and he was getting dressed to go to our office/shop/warehouse to put out sand bags. 

Bringing sand bags from the warehouse to put at the doors

The corner where our business is, floods easily.  Over the years it has gotten worse and worse since we are behind the football stadium and for many years they have continued to add dirt to the field in an effort to build it up so it won't flood.  Guess what that does to our corner?  All the water that flows off the field flows to our corner.  Then the city put in a walking trail and that further captured the water in our area.  Eventually they decided maybe they had made matters worse so they tried to fix it.  The first fix didn't help, but I think a latter one has helped some. 

Afternoon in the backyard after the rains

We headed to the office and drove through some water a few places, but nothing too bad.  An intersection near our house floods.  Parts of Palm Blvd. flood.  The outer lanes on Boca Chica Blvd. flood.  But all those places are where we expect trouble.  At the office, the street was not covered all the way across in front of our shop but the side street was as deep as it usually is.

Afternoon in the backyard after the rains

Ron worked loading the sand bags on the dolly and moving them to the two showroom doors.  He has learned over the years what it takes to keep the water out as long as it isn't massive.  Then he did the overhead door to the warehouse.  Some water had come in there but he said he thought it was blowing rain from the south and not rising water.  The weather radar had shown two more strong rain cells south of us moving our way.  The rain let up while he was working which was a blessing because he doesn't handle cold and wet very well.

 Nice to see things blooming beautifully

He did have a funny thing happen.  After sand bagging, he walked around the entire building to check on things and as he walked down the alley, an opossum washed out drain pipe from the roof.  He said it was not happy about it but that it was a funny sight.  I could just imagine them creating a water slide from the roof.  Oh, well.

Hanging basket filled with blooms from the Royal Poinciana tree

As we headed home, the water had started going down except for one spot, which was another spot where the city had a walking trail.  We came up over the rise and down into a deep pond of water on the road - not flowing, but just accumulated.  I don't remember a bad spot there in the past.  Again, being in the Suburban, it was no problem for us although a small car could have been in trouble. 

 Pretty little flower floating in one of the fountains following the rains

By the time we got home, it was about 5:15.  Ron took a hot bath and I returned to the recliner and slept for a while.  The rain cells south of us dissipated and we got very little rain after we sand bagged.  I reminded Ron that he has always said he would rather board up for a hurricane that doesn't come than for one that does.  So even though we lost some sleep and he is now sore, we are glad our sand bagging was not put to the test.

Our Royal Poinciana tree; my favorite flowering tree

At Sunday School, many were running late, but we had a good bunch in class and excellent questions and discussions.  I left a little early to go get Mom for church and the skies were starting to clear.  I love it after a storm when everything is brilliant green from all the lightening and the air is clean and clear from the rain.  It was a beautiful day. 

One of the fallen blooms

The worship service was good.  The veterans were honored on this Memorial Day weekend.  We are so thankful for the sacrifices they made and the ones made by their families.  He talked about a friend of ours, Tate, who served in Afghanistan and lost a close buddy there as well as others from their unit.  Tate came home but has fought some serious physical battles ever since.  We owe so much to these men and women.

 Our tree peeking over the roof

Today I had more trouble than usual hearing in church.  I do not know why some days are different.  Oh, I forgot to mention an incident that happened as we left the office this morning in the dark after sand bagging the doors.  I was climbing over the sand bags and stepping out into the rain to get in the car.  I had my hands full and fumbled with the remote for the car, getting wet in the process.  Once in the car, I grabbed some napkins and dried my hair.

 Such pretty clusters of blooms

As Ron started for the car, he asked me for something and I read his lips for what he wanted, but it dawned on me that I could not hear him and my sound processor was not on my head.  I panicked.  Where was it?  As you know, if you have been following this blog, I tend to lose it in the rain when it attaches to my umbrellas or the car door frame as I quickly duck in out of the rain.  I started looking and didn't find it.  I was afraid the magnet attached to the Cochlear sound processor had attached to the door frame.  So I told Ron to wait until I found it.  It turned out to be in my car seat and I must have brushed it off as I dried my hair when I got in the car.  So glad it wasn't somewhere getting wet!  I am not sure Ron is glad I went with him.

Jeff's family had also had a sleep deprived night.  I had been thinking how Jeff had probably been able to sleep through the storm instead of taking calls all night and working through the night as he did when working for the city here.  It turned out he was up most of the night trying to locate the baby kittens that usually sleep in the front flower bed, since that flower bed normally floods.   After long searching, Barb found them and put them in a box on the back patio which is covered.  About the time she got to bed, but mother cat let it be known she could not find her babies, so Barb took her to the back patio.  When they got up this morning, the mother cat had carried them off somewhere else.  What a night!

A Royal Poinciana tree near Mom's house

We had lunch with Jeff's family at Wendy's and it really has gotten crowded since we started going there.  I think they closed one or two of their places in town so maybe that is why the one we go to is now crowded.  It was good to have time with the family.  All of us adults at the table were ready for naps even it the children weren't, so we did not stay as long as usual.

A different Royal Poinciana tree near Mom's.  This one is huge.

After we came home and changed clothes, Ron went to his mom's and I went to pick up prescriptions for my mom.  I stayed a little bit and visited with Mom and then took a few pictures on the way home of Royal Poinciana trees on my route.  Ron put some new books on his mother's Kindle to keep her busy while she is feeling bad.  Back at the house I spent time in the yard putting out oranges for the woodpeckers and checking on things.  The plants were blooming beautifully.

Same tree as above

Eventually I got my nap about 6:00 and slept until 8:00.  I had gotten some soup out of the freezer and warmed that for our supper.  I talked to our son and daughter-in-law in New Mexico.  It has been a good day, but I think we are both still tired. 

Same tree as above