Tag: Flooding

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From Wet Dust to Wet Flooding

In August of 2003, Joelle and I purchased our current farm. That seems like a lifetime ago! The 1892 old farmhouse was in pretty bad shape and the bank wouldn’t let us move into until we remodeled it. Having sold our home in Machias, we were stuck in that awkward state of nowhere to live. In hindsight, the bank was right. The old farm had “good bones”, but was in serious disrepair.

It was hard, but rewarding. We were finally on our own farm and everyone was pitching in, both family and friends. So much work but we found amazing treasures too. Treasures that you would never find unless you rolled up your sleeves and got to work! There was so much lathe and plaster and wall paper and more wall paper. The whole place needed to be rewired and replumbed and insulated. I remember when we were started to “attack” the lowered ceiling that was made up of acoustic tiles. As soon as we pulled out those tiles, everything stopped. We were in awe. Untouched and as beautiful as the day they were first installed 10’ up in the air was a 20’ long cedar 1” x 4” tongue and grooved bead board.

We were stuck. We knew it had to come down in order for us to do the wiring and plumbing, but we also knew that you just can’t buy that stuff anymore. I remember the moment like it was yesterday. We just stopped working in that room for a whole month! There was no way to patch it up and do all the upgrades. It had to come down, but yet it was a part of this home, its history, its craftsmanship. Eventually a plan came together. We removed the ceiling and broke boards, but we were able to save lots of good useable pieces. We repainted that beautiful rich dark green cedar bead board the same color and used it as wainscoting.

Why all this reminiscing? Well, October of 2003 was also the first year we were introduced to the Stillaguamish River and from that day on, we understood who the valley really belongs to. And this week we have our first flood watch for the season. Hopefully a nonevent, but in 2003 it was supposed to be a nonevent too but turned out to be the largest flood on record. Thankfully, technology has gotten better, and the forecasts tend to be more accurate, but that first flood, oh my! 

This month we have also been talking about Cancer and asking people to share their stories. In some ways our old farmhouse and the valley we live in serves as reminder of how precious and how fragile life is. That old farmhouse was in need of some love and care and it couldn’t do it on its own. People battling Cancer or any major disease also need love and care. They need a team filled with hope to “carry” them at times and help them win this very real fight.

At Klesick Farms we are privileged to be a part of your team. We believe in you and we want you to be healed. If you would like to share your story or the story of someone you know battling cancer, please click the link and submit a prayer request. It can be anonymous or not. We pray on Thursdays for the prayer requests we receive.

 

Your Health Advocate and Farmer,

 

Tristan

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You can find the river in the strangest places!

The other day I was out working on the farm, running to and fro, getting ready for the record whopper of a flood they say is coming my way.  Now when you live near the mouth of the river and your farm is just barely above sea level, you’re often wondering, “will this be the one that soaks my farm?!”

You see, all the water begins its accumulation in the mountains and then makes it way via the watershed in an ever increasing volume…right by us lowlanders.

Well they (those in the know), were prognosticating the end of the life in the valley as we know it. Of course, I knew better, but then, I just live here.  After the waters had been pouring across the fields and over  the road for 16 hours, I sent Aaron, my trusty 16 year old, over to the part of the road that usually drains first to see if we could get Mom out to her ladies tea on Camano that night.  Now, Aaron has one of those trucks that everyone loves to have when it is snowing or flooding, but eats your paycheck the rest of the year.  So he went out, and headed over, walking through the water to check its depth. When he came back, he reported “It’s just over my rubber boots, I can get out!”

So we made a plan to get out, which, of necessity included driving all the way through Smokey point to get to Camano Island and then be back again in a few hours.

Well, just after dinner, and before the two were going to fjord the flood waters (mind you only farmers or idiots should attempt this!), I went out the front door and put on a pair of rubber boots to go to check the horses. WATERRRRRR!  Cold river water! They were full of water! I went sloshing through the house, in my wet socks, looking for a clean pair, and asking Aaron why he didn’t dump out the water after he had reported back that he could make it through the flooded road.  He smiled, a rather Cheshire cat smile, and said, “I thought I did?”

Sometimes there are just too many boots to choose from when you have 9 children and several pairs of the same size boots available on the porch.

Merry Christmas,

Tristan

PS. To see some videos of the flooding please visit: http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=334246821144

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'09 in the Books

 

It was this time last year that our farm and faming neighbors were hunkering down and sand bagging like crazy.  The January ’09 flood was a record event.  Flooding is a fairly normal event during the winter, but last January was the perfect storm.  We had snow melting, huge amounts of rain and really high tides.  As you can imagine, I am glad that the January ’09 flood is put to rest. 

It is ironic how over time disasters take on their own personality and eventually are referred to as the ’51 flood or the ‘9o flood.  Farmers are already referring to the January ’09 flood as the ’09 flood.  I have been in more than one meeting where an old timer has stood up and referenced the ’51 flood.  I have never seen pictures of the ’51 flood, until recently. I knew that it was a big flood to have so burned the memory of into the farmers pysche 50 years later.  But when I saw the aerial photographs, I finally understood.  That flood wiped out the City of Stanwood. May we never see water like that again.