Have you all heard about these big storms we’re having out here in California? We’re supposed to get something like 40 – 50 mile an hour winds, with gusts up to 100 mph!
So yesterday afternoon I had Mike and Robbie out with me in the backyard picking up all the toys and piling them behind the playhouse. The plan was to avoid having giant plastic vehicles sail through our windows. It has never looked cleaner, but you would have thought I asked them to pull out their own fingernails. The complaining — it was intense.
It looks good out there except for one thing — notice the green hose? The other end is connected to the lovely sump pump in our basement, and it has been continually pumping out water for hours now.
At first I really wasn’t impressed by the storm. I saw all the rain, but it just didn’t seem like that much water. Well, until THWACK, a large oak tree two houses down completely split down the middle. Craig went over and everyone seems OK, but yikes.
So I’ve spent considerable time today in the rain staring at all the huge trees which surround us while Craig has been going around the neighboring blocks clearing storm drains.
It’s actually not too bad, except there are, I think, two more storms on the way. Remember how sad I was a few months ago when we had to chop down a tree in our yard?
I am SO GLAD we did that now! The remaining trees are strong and all the other oaks around us are all supported by strong cables. So we’re pretty safe. (Hi Mom — everything is fine :)
(Led Zeppelin, The Rain Song)
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wave #2 has been working it's way through our neck of the woods and it has been bad.
i suggested/nagged my dear family as well especially darling husband (in the spring and again in the summer when he took two weeks off to do stuff around the house) about the poor drainage problem we have had in the back.
whatever.
i'm glad i forced the kids to help me batten down the hatches early this am including the full garbage toters (some on our street were blown several hundred feet).
darling husband otoh is standing out in the driving rain in the dark as i type trying to get his sump pump going to deal with the flood in our back yard and patio. yeah, he remembers back when i nagged before.
stay dry.
we are trying.
Sheesh, haven't heard that song in a LONG time…
Stay safe, are you anywhere near where they're getting something insane like 10 feet of snow?
I just want to point out that there were none of these storms when *I* lived in CA.
Wind can be fierce. Stay safe.
I know the storms are crazy! We tied down everything in our yard too… and yet garbage was still flying around. Today was trash day, and I didn't even put out the can. My neighbor did … who knows why… and her can was flying around the street with trash everywhere for hours. The kids have been practicing hide & go seek in the dark, in case the power goes out!
WOW – what crazy weather. Stay safe!
Here in Ottawa, Canada, we are having crazy extremes. Yesterday it was minue 27 degrees celcius and today it is expected to be plus 3…CRAZY!
Thanks for sharing.
PS – love your backyard!
Hi! I just found your blog and have enjoyed browsing through it! I'm on the other side of the country – VA, so I love finding people who are living and parenting in other communities. I'm sure I'll be back to visit again!
Keep safe, duck when needed!
Your preparations paid off. Good luck; wind can be frightning. There's so little you can do once it starts. snow I can handle…but I really respect folks who deal with hurricane type winds.
A tree limb fell off in a bad storm and right into our house- near The Mayor's room when he was just a baby. Scary stuff.
Love the zep!
Stay safe. Take care.
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