Flooding, departures and arrivals

The remnants of Tropical Storm Bill reached us yesterday morning – at least, the rain did. It started raining just after I got to the office yesterday and continued to rain until after 6 pm. At times the rain was very heavy and water accumulated to the point that we had to let some people go home early because the roads they needed to pass through to get home were already flooding.

Seeing that there was going to be no letting up of the rain I arranged to get the belt on the van replaced as soon as the shops opened. I was at a shop by 9 a.m. and out by 9:45 a.m. That turned out to be a very wise move since the entire road we live on had twelve to fourteen inches of water on it when I headed home. I would never have made it without the new belt on the engine.

All the roads around us were flooded. The one nearest ours had at least four feet of water on it and the road to Victoria’s house had more than a foot of water covering it where it joins 1810. All this had Brittany and Andrew a little worried – me and Mama also. But by about 7 pm the rain slowed to the point that Andrew was able to do some last minute cleaning of the car they will ship out today and our patio, which floods with each rain, began to clear. By the time we all went out this morning all the flooding had receded off of the roads and all the closures had been lifted.

Brittany and Andrew left for the airport with Lucy at the same time I was getting up because Lucy had to be at the staging area for her flight by 6:30 this morning. On the way back to Chico they will stop by and pick up the van so it can be loaded with their luggage. It will not be too much later that they will head to the freight yard to drop off the car and then on to the airport to head to England. It has been a whirlwind week; for them and for Mama.

For me and Mama it is just beginning since tomorrow morning we head to the airport to pick up Alfredo and his wife. They arrived in Miami on Monday for business Alfredo had there. He called Mama as soon as he could activate his US phone. They will be with us for the weekend, flying back out to Brazil on Monday morning. It will be a long, fun weekend for all of us. I am taking tomorrow off to try and extend that time a little.

Victoria will be back Saturday evening –driving home from Florida where she has been staying with Cori and Nate and the kids. Monday morning, while Mama is taking Alfredo to the airport she will be at an interview with the Decatur ISD Transportation Department. She applied for a job as a bus driver and this interview will be for that position. I believe it is something she really wants so please be praying for that.

The following day, Tuesday evening, Mama and I will be dropped off at the airport to head out to Juneau so we can spend some time with Maggie, Aaron and Cathryn before and after the Walter comes. We will be there over the 4^th of July so we get to celebrate that with our Alaska brood.

Maggie and Aaron have some fun activities planned for our time there but mostly it will be nice to slow down for a few days.