Ready to build an ark

Friday, May 1, 2009 started off great.  We've been enjoying sleeping to the sounds of rain on our new sound machine.  This particular morning we slept in a bit later than normal. The sound of rain from that machine and the cloudy skies outside just allowed us to snooze peacefully.  When we finally woke up fully, we realized that part of that soothing sound was coming from actual rain. We showered, dressed, I put on my face and fixed my hair. Drank a cup of coffee then looked outside. Woa! Look how full the pond is getting. We were planning to run an errand in Tulsa and go to the grocery store, I hate buying groceries and put it off as long as possible.  In fact just the day before I told Rick I thought I'd see how long we could live on the provisions we had in the pantry.  By the time we were ready to head out the door it was impossible. The water had crossed our driveway and there was no way out.

This is a picture of Rick taking a picture of the water flowing across our driveway.

The lake between our house and Pete and Diane's house.  The curb you see is our driveway where it crosses the little ponds. Now under water. Freaky.

This is a view from our driveway looking back towards the woods.  Can you see about 50 bags of freshly spread mulch floating out there. There are about 3 tiers to this flower bed, 2 of them are under water. The walls to the little pond are down there somewhere, probably about 5 feet.

This is looking toward the large pond from the driveway. The spindly little trees on the left are actually on the island the sits in the middle of the small pond.  The trees to the right are in our front yard.

Our neighbors house, the white brick one. The water was within about an inch of going in her doors. I know she was nervous.  I called her and told her we'd wondered if sandbags would help. We couldn't go get any because we couldn't get out, then I finally thought of something better. PRAYER. So I called a few friends and family members and ask them to ask God to let the rain slow down for a while, allowing it time to flow out the spillway into the valley on the other side of 94th St.  Praise His Name, it did slow down, then quit, just before it got into our neighbors house.  I am so grateful for that. I would hate for her to have that kind of mess.

This is a view of the pond from our front porch, as you can see it was still several feet from our house.  We are on a hill and our house sits higher than 94th st.  So it would flow over 94th into that deep valley before it got to our house. Thank God for that.  We have never seen the water this deep in the 11 years we've lived here.  The closest it came to this was our first spring in this house, 1999.  It was within a couple feet of the white house but not across our driveway then and I was freaked out about that.  Rick was at work that day and I was worried about my piano and trying to figure out how to get it up off the floor when I came to my senses and realized it would spill over 94th before getting to our house.  It is still crazy to stand on the front porch surrounded by water on all sides.  I don't much like it.

Oh, notice the new bench my husband made me. DeNae surprised us with a bench made from old fence wood several years ago. She'd made it herself with a hand saw and hammer. I was so proud of that bench and her for making it but the weather finally destroyed it this winter and it went to the burn pile, so Rick made me a new one.  Thank you DeNae for the bench you made, I nearly cried when it had to be cremated.

The water levels on the ponds are back to normal now. But there is more rain to come, hopefully not so much so quick.  I did get to the grocery store so I'm a bit better prepared for the next monsoon. I do so feel for all those whose homes were flooded.