Saturday, March 28, 2009

What a Week

First, hard drive failure on Monday: No writing accomplished. School work only.

Second, reloading reformatted hard drive, Tuesday and Wednesday: Minimal writing accomplished.

Third, driving through torrential downpours going and coming from work Thursday: Still, some writing accomplished.

Fourth, wide scale flooding in the neighborhood on Friday. I managed to make it out of the neighborhood Friday morning but coming home I had to park a couple of miles away and hoof it through waist deep water for a good ways before making it to semi-solid land. We then waited out storm cell after storm cell, with rain coming in sheets while the black sky blammed with lightning and thunder, and with the water creeping steadily higher in our yard: Writing not even attempted.

It turns out one of the pumping stations in Abita Springs broke down and our area got the worst of the backup during the day and early night on Friday. Fortunately, neither of our cars were damaged. Nor was our house. And this morning the sun is flaming from a wide blue sky and the swamp in our yard is gradually receding.

Will there be writing today? We'll see.

By the way, Lana has a flood pic and more info on the experience at her blog.
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43 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

Stay dry. May words on the screen be the own flooding you experience.

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Wow - you guys really get the extreme's of weather over there. Here in the UK everything stops when we get an inch of snow. I've been watching the US reports on the Red River situation - I hope everyone gets through okay.

David Cranmer said...

I passed by Abita (on I-12 ) leaving Louisiana and remember thinking it was some low level country... good luck on the writing.

Anndi said...

Just stay dry, pal. I was talking to mah Honey and their area of Alabama is getting a lot of rain too.

Lana Gramlich said...

Welcome to the weekend, honeydumplins! Surely it will be an improvement...the water's already receding! And had I told you lately that I love you all to heck? <:)

Travis Cody said...

When you are wading through that waist deep water, do you ever wonder if there are dangerous critters lurking in it?

I'd certainly have to talk myself into making that trek. Not so much because there might be snakes or anything, although that would cross my mind. But the bigger fear would be that the water would keep getting deeper and I might get in a situation that would require some swimming. I don't swim and I'd be afraid of getting washed away and drowning.

Sidney said...

We got some of that rain too but nothing like that. Does sound like it was quite a week.

Heff said...

We got nailed with 3 days of pretty serious rains ourselves. Not quite like what you guys got, though.

Charles Gramlich said...

Travis Erwin, A flood of writing would be nice about now. I’ve got a lot to get done.

ARCHAVIST, There’s been a lot of flooding and a lot of weird weather that past few years here. We are definitely in an active period.

David Cranmer, Yeah, we’re pretty close to sea level.


Anndi, It’s been heavy across much of the south, and with a weird snowstorm in Texas.

Lana Gramlich, no you!

Travis, No, I hadn’t wondered that. Until NOW! Thanks my friend.

Sidney, I’ve been a busy bee, or perhaps beaver would be a better analogy considering the flood.

Heff, Yeah, I heard a lot of South got slapped pretty heavily.

Barbara Martin said...

Hope the water goes down soon. The Red River south of Winnipeg, Manitoba was reaching record heights the last couple of days and heading into Minnesota.

pattinase (abbott) said...

We need to start thinking canals.

Steve Malley said...

Have to say, I'd probably take the odd day off under those conditions, too! Glad y'all are dry and well again!

writtenwyrdd said...

Oh man. I am glad things were not worse. In your neck of the woods, didn't you worry about water moccasins in the flood water? Brrr. Or gators?

Glad the house and both of you (and your cars) are unscathed. Bet the roads are a mess, though.

Shauna Roberts said...

At least this coming has GOT to be better.

laughingwolf said...

rats... glad there was no flood damage, charles

that mean a move to higher ground in future?

Spy Scribbler said...

It's been a week for computer mishaps! But waist-deep water? Wow. I can't even imagine. I'd have to be there to get it.

Charles Gramlich said...

Barbara Martin, it's gone down here a lot today. STill some water across the roads but not enough to keep us from traveling.

pattinase, they even dredged some of the drainage streams here recently but it didn't do much good.

Steve Malley, I let too many days go by like that lately. I've been a bit lazy.

writtenwyrdd, I think the gators would have been getting out of the water at the rate it was running. As for moccassins, I didn't think about that until now. Thanks!

Shauna Roberts, today was truly beautiful, with clear skies, sunshine and nice and cool.

laughingwolf, our house is up pretty high off the ground, and I'm surely glad.

spyscribbler, and the water wasn't very clean either, since it had picked up the oil from the roads.

steve on the slow train said...

And I was feeling sorry for myself just driving through cold rain. I'm sure Lana will take care of you, though. Hope you dry ous soon.

laughingwolf said...

that's great... fishing right off the back deck, recently? :O lol

Scott said...

Charles,

I hope it dries out for you all soon. Take care!

ivan said...

Will have to watch the news to hear if Winnipeg was inundated. They were madly sandbagging at Fargo ND...Wonder how they made out there.
Ah, water, water everwhere.

Jesus, Charles, with the spate of bad luck, I woldn't have been surprised to see periscopes poppin' out of the bayu.
That a U-boat? And the Cajun guy might answer, "Dat no my boat, me."

Sorry to hear.

I have been caught like you while fishing at Elliott Lake ON, hip waders filling up and only a willow branch grabbed to keep from drowning.
Scary feeling, as I'm sure it was for you walking/swimming home.
I knew you were on relatively high ground, but that durn pumping station! Something out of Roadrunner and Coyote. Plunk. Into the Nevada Gorge, with just a little splash-- Never buy flying gear from ACME!
Hope this Wile E period will now end.

Merisi said...

I am so sorry reading about this series of unfortunate events that has hit you this week! I shudder at the thought of you walking through the flooded areas, must be really dangerous for a number of reasons.
May your weekend be filled with sunshine!

BernardL said...

From my time working at a gas station in Baton Rouge I remember rain where it was nearly impossible to see your hand in front of your face. I'm glad your house and cars were spared.

the walking man said...

Just curious, what do alligators do when it rains like that?

JR's Thumbprints said...

As they say, "When it rains, it pours." Hope everything returns to normal, or semi-normal, or a comfortable, balanced state.

Greg said...

wow, that is quite a week! glad you came through it safe.

Charles Gramlich said...

steve on the slow train, she does a good job for sure.

laughingwolf, I’d enjoy that if there were any good fish!

Scott, thanks, my friend.

ivan, Yeah, if we’d had another day or two of rain with the pump out I hesitate to think what would have happened. I hope the folks in Canada can make it through.

Merisi, Yesterday was beautiful and today is looking that way as well. I’m going out for a walk this afternoon. Low humidity and blue skies, so we are looking pretty now.

BernardL, yes, we do get torrential downpours. We have a lot in common with semi-tropical environments.

the walking man, you know, I don’t honestly know. Many of them will have dug little caves along the river bank so maybe they retreat into those. I’ll have to find out.

JR's Thumbprints, it’s been a good weekend so I’m feeling a little more sane now.

Greg Schwartz, me too!

MarmiteToasty said...

Oh jebus....... please stay safe in not dry....

*sending you a little blow up dingy lol*

x

G. B. Miller said...

I've been fortunate enough to live in a part of the state that doesn't flood (much) after heavy rainstorms.

We do get residual flooding from the CT River, so I can understand a little of what you're going through.

Good luck in staying dry and here's to hoping that something good comes out in your writing from this.

Randy Johnson said...

Glad you guys didn't get damage. I hope everyone else in the area was as lucky.

Barrie said...

You've had quite the week!

Middle Ditch said...

I read about it and saw it on the news. I hope you and Lana are okay

Best Fantasy and Science Fiction said...

Glad you guys safe!

Mimi Lenox said...

That sounds dangerous! Glad you two are OK and the worst is over.

Miladysa said...

Thankfully you are both OK and no damage to boot.

I'll wager money on some writing taking place this weekend :D

Charles Gramlich said...

MarmiteToasty, we've had a couple of nice days and are drying out at least.

G, Unfortunatly I'm gearing up for a bout of grading this coming two weeks. Sigh.

Randy Johnson, a couple of cars got flooded out that I saw. It looks like there wasn't much dmage to any houses, though. People tend to build high here.

Barrie, I was ready for it to be over, for sure.

Middle Ditch, Yeah, I'm glad Lana didn't even try to go to work on Friday. We'd both have been stuck out.

Best Fantasy and Science Fiction, and we had a truly lovely weekend.

Mimi Lenox, yes, me too. Thanks.

Miladysa, I did manage a fair amount of writing last night. I hope to get in some more tonight.

j said...

I am SO thankful that none of your belongings were damaged due to the flooding. I'm sorry you didn't accomplish the writing that you had hoped but maybe your experiencces with the weather will inspire you in some way.

Have a great week Charles!

Chris Eldin said...

I read about your award nomination on Lana's blog---MANY CONGRATULATIONS!!! Very nice!!

Oh, you know, it has been raining here in Dubai! Dubai does have a 'rainy season' usually lasts a week or two in January. The weather right now is highly unusual...

Charles Gramlich said...

jennifer, weather can definitely be inspiring, I find. Really good weather just inspires me to get outside though.

Chris Eldin, thanks. I appreciate that. Seems like lots of unusual weather around the world these days.

Rose DesRochers said...

I found your blog via Sarah's blog. i'm always looking for new blogs to read. Boy, it sounds you hada really crappy week.

G. B. Miller said...

Bummer about the grading.

You could give everyone C's just for the fun of it.

That way, you can watch everyone have a collective heart attack when they read their papers.

(sorry, had a dull day at work today)

J. L. Krueger said...

We've been having more rain than "usual" in Kabul too. But since we are at 6,000 feet, it mostly runs downhill away...after it sloshes down the surrounding mountains into the Kabul valley that is.

Charles Gramlich said...

Rose DesRochers, yes, but it can only get better from there eh? Thanks for visiting.

G, Yes, and I could hope none of them are armed as well!

J. L. Krueger, eek, I wonder if I could even breath at 6000 feet. ;)