When I put a note on Facebook yesterday morning---asking all folks leaving the area for spring break, bound for some exotic place in the sun---to please take with them a bucket of water so that the poor saps remaining here could dry out, I received a variety of responses.
Some people---in those exotic places---said they could use a little water. Others concurred with my feelings, while still others told their horror stories.
When my friend Billie Jean noted that South Center Valley Road less than half a mile north of us had been breached with water for the second time this month, I took off with my camera.
Yup, those photos (do note the fencepost tops) show what a little rain for endless days has done to the roads.
That portion of road has dried up now cuz the rain did stop for a few hours last night.
During that time, Bill and I and the dogs took off for an evening drive to survey flooding. I took my camera, but even with the extended daylight, grey gloom ruled the evening. Bill figured the Rapid Lightning Creek area would be pretty dramatic, so we headed that direction.
It was.
Even after the rain break, Lower Pack River had spread its banks to just even with the roadside in several places but not quite enough to overflow.
It's all pretty ugly with the muddy color and all the debris floating in the water.
We moved on up Rapid Lightning Creek, which IS earning its name. Wet stuff is flowing pretty rapidly.
We then turned onto the connection road to Gold Creek and actually drove through some areas where winter hasn't yet heard that April starts tomorrow. It might just be in the that April Fools mode.
Some homes in that area are still surrounded with three or four feet of snow.
Bill had gone earlier in the day to check out the Grouse Creek Road, noting that there were some areas that could get bad.
Well, when we were about to turn off the road that goes past Western Pleasure Guest Ranch and head north to Grouse Creek, we had to turn left toward Albertsonville instead.
A sign just off Gold Creek Road noted "Road Closed."
Beyond that, we could see a dark crevice where an entire section of road had washed out.
Actually, upon arriving home at just about dark, our ponds and extra streams looked pretty tame.
Somebody told me the other day that she "liked" the rain. I told her that when you watch your horses walk through almost knee-deep mud, you don't like the rain.
I've been feeding my horses in the morning on the far side of the barnyard.
Yes, they have to walk through yucky slop to get to their breakfast, but it's comparatively dry, and there's a straight, short pathway to the shelter shown above.
So, March is ending as a record month for rainfall. The record, with data going back to 1891, fell two days ago, and we've had a heckuva lot of rain since then. The day is young.
It could be a long time before the 2012 record falls, and I hope it doesn't happen in my lifetime.
And, to think we have not yet hit the month when April showers bring May flowers.
Oh, and I did not win the lottery. Just in case you were wondering!
Sorry, Helen.
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