Perfect Storm Part II

As anxious as we were, we did go to bed and managed to sleep. During the night, the rain abated, the tide slackened and the waters of Crippen Creek receded and returned to the confines of its banks and never reached our house. Whew! It became abundantly clear how effective the creek bank restoration project was, allowing the creek to flood where it should and taking the energy off of critical points. Thank you Darin Houpt and the Wahkiakum County Conservation District.

With the roads now passable we managed to get out and take a few pictures of the area.







Our Fairgrounds



Elk looking for high ground



Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge

If I have learned anything over my years, it is that when portentous events invade our lives that we should not be too hasty to label them as "bad" or "negative." I find these events worthy of reflection. When a seeming calamity strikes it's only natural to ask, "what do I do about it?" As important as that question is, I believe a more important question to ask is, "what do I do with it?"

It's like the tale of a farmer that snags his plow on something in the field. Rather than curse his interruption he stops to examine it, dig it up and in so doing, unearths a buried treasure. And while this weather event interrupted our plans, we too found our treasures. Our lives intersected with neighbors who came to check on our welfare. I marvel at how a crisis brings out the best in people. The roads cleared in time to allow us to return to Portland to and support a dear friend who lost her brother. As one thing leads to another, we found ourselves reconnecting with some friends that we have not seen for some time. We were greatly nourished by the good wishes, thoughts and prayers that we received from family and friends via phone calls and emails. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!