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