Being Bobbi Soaked and Scared

It's flooding here on the Long and Winding Road today. Flooding is a bit of an understatement; it's more apocalyptic than that to look at it. This is just after my driveway (top) meets the Long and Winding Road. Pictured is Berkeley trying to shake the water off him. This was on our way back up the road to the house after joining with the neighbors to put cars down on the highway since all the roads, including Leroy seem to be washing away. This is Suzie's husband trying to divert the water flowing down the Long & Winding that's going right under his mother-in-law's house. Suzie and Rick live up on a little hill.

Below is Berkeley enjoying a water feature in the middle of the road. We were trudging the mile back up from the car. I was holding my pick ax in 0ne hand and Berkeley's leash in the other. I was also wearing my too-big-for-me muck boots and my socks kept sliding off inside them...dang I hated that as a kid, too.

Below is Suzie and I in front of her place. I am sure Rick appreciated us taking photos of ourselves as he bulldozed.

This is where the Long and Winding Road meets the paved (and soon to be collapsed) Leroy Road at Buck's house. Berkeley did not appreciate having to wade through the moving water, but we had no options, as I was not going to carry him.

Below is a sign on the steep part of Leroy Road...made to seem even steeper by driving rain, an awkward pick ax, Berkeley tugging, my socks falling off inside my too-big-for-me muck boots, and constant worry that the hillside and road would give way while I was on it. I was debating which scenario was true: "It sounded like a giant freight train"...which is the sound attributed to hurricanes, tornados, giant freight trains...or "You never hear the one that gets you."....or does that only apply to bullets, hand grenades, and again, giant freight trains?

Here is Suzie where my driveway meets the L & W. She and Rick came up to my house to help me when the culvert was blocked and the Occasional Creek re-routed itself down my driveway. What nice neighbors I have. In the mean time, Steve Bloomstrom and Jim Judd were trying to get to me to help, but they were turned back by mud slides all over highway 12.

Rick, Elliot, and Suzie, and Steve way down the road, on our way to put cars down before the road goes. They all came to help me clear the clogged culvert.

Below is Adam Roberts, another kind neighbor who came to help.

This is the sight I saw when light broke and I stepped outside. I panicked! I was on the phone to Laurie Judd, who was stuck in Yakima trying to find a way to Kirkland for Jocelyn's knee surgery tomorrow. I hung up and my phone went dead. I called Steve and Kelly Bloomstrom and Steve said he'd try and get up here. I called Elliot, but Kim said they had tons of water aiming for their house and he was stuck; I then called the strongest woman I know, Barb West. She was stuck in behind a slide, but calmed me down as I sobbed into the phone. I tried to be brave, but I just can't anymore. I went out on my own, found a hoe and a pick ax and tried diverting it. Next think I knew, Elliot and Adam Roberts were there and Rick and Suzy. By then the culvert was unclogged and we all moved cars to the highway.

Steve Roberts said he thinks the worst is over for us here on "the hill". I pray he's right.