Love in a time of flood. . . .

Just came in from putting shingles stored under the porch up onto the porch. These are the only ones that survived Hurricane Isabel, September 18, 2003. They'd gotten caught in bundles and tarps, and other debris. They were hunted down, bundle and single after that flood. They came from the roof of my mother's house in Bountiful. My brothers saved the best when they reroofed. They are hand-split redwood shingles. I carted them home from Utah after my mother died. Isabel got most of them. I still have enough, I think to finish the front of the Fairydiddle Mystery House.

You may surmise that this is turning out to be quite a flood. And you'd be right. I've never seen water like this that wasn't associated with a hurricane. There's a clump of trees and brush caught in the culverts of the bridge causing the water to flow to either side. Not often can I get a sense of how deeply the bridge is underwater, but from the backup and drop, I'd estimate that the water is three or four feet higher than the bridge.

It's now covering the last of the terrace (what Isabel didn't destroy) and in six or so inches will be under the front porch. Time, I thought to rescue the shingles again. I moved the car up the hill night before last, and am glad I did. Though water is only half over the driveway, I wouldn't be able to back into the river to turn, and when I back up the hill, I always end up in the ditch!

By way of comparison, the Isabel flooding only came up to my second step (above which are five more),so the living room is in no danger. And I never even lost electricity during Isabel. My main worry? I'm going to run out of both cigarettes and coffee. . .

Meanwhile, I'm being entertained by the sheer force and beauty of Mother, angry. Hope she doesn't get more so. . .

(No. This isn't a picture of my flood. But it could easily be.)