Friday, September 30, 2011

Piles of donations

Aftermath of the flooding lingers longer than anticipated. 

Our donation distribution center had to move but remains open in the new location and is now open for those beyond our county.  Some families lost everything and sought clothing for all seasons.  Other families who stored winter clothing in the basement sought enough for the winter.  
There is plenty for everyone ... even teens found great stuff.   


 And food!  Oh my.  Not only the normal food bank donations but for the first couple of weeks there was fresh milk, eggs and meat ... even some freshly decorated cakes.  Donations continue to exceed demand.


 My little 'point and shoot' camera could not take in the immense size of this warehouse.  The lights give you some insight.  There is another building behind this one that is filled with furniture, TVs, appliances (which are snatched up  as fast as they came in) and so much more.  Each day is a surprise.



One of our favorite ice cream and fun food places was flooded in the basement but the water reached only a couple inches into its main floor.  So, a bit of ice cream for many of us was a nice interlude on this gorgeous, cool day.  Having this place open gave everyone hope that life could get back to 'normal' sooner than later.
We lingered on the hill behind this 'hut' as we sat at a picnic table in the middle of a sweet garden ... which I forgot to photograph.


The rains have ebbed to the point that we can finally begin to dry out a bit.  We hold our breath as the ground seems too soggy to hold much more moisture. All too soon we will shiver in the midst of frozen tundra and wonder what all the fuss was about... maybe.

Footnote regarding one of the two little churches (previous post) ...  just a few hours of labor from about fifteen people and we created a new worship space in the 'newer' section of the church property.   The 'old' church is a historic site so we hope they will soon find the funds from grants etc. to rebuild the foundation.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Two Little Churches after the flood

Two little churches in two small towns,
One is white and one is brown.
One withstood the water's rush,
While the other soaked in far too much.





One still stands on solid ground,
The other's foundation is unsound,
Though both churches are very very old,
Only one is strong and free of mold.


Yet, God's constant grace breaks through,
As people from both churches drew,
Together to clean and fix and renew,
As best they could with this expanded crew.

With hope and prayers and funds, in time,
The unsound church will return to its prime.
But they need to think outside the 'box,'
And let God work beyond this perceived loss.

All we can do is give our best,
To help each other find true rest,
When worshipping in another space,
Created with God's love and grace.

God will guide them as they try,
To embrace these changes and not ask, "why"?
To take each step with heads held high,
And remember God's love will never die.

That sense of loss and heartfelt grief,
Which floods the heart and tests belief.
Will soon turn in a new direction,
As they regain spiritual resurrection.

We're all one family in God's eyes,
Working together to revise,
What seems an end, a sad demise,
For one little church that again will rise.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Agnes to Lee

Agnes came this way in 1972 and caused floods too numerous and deep to count.  So, everyone prepared for the same flooding ... those near the Susquehanna.  Lee caused enough rain to equal the damage of Agnes but did not raise the level of the Susquehanna as much as was expected.  So, some towns did not do as poorly as anticipated.
  However, no one expected the little creeks that snake around so many small towns in this area of the Northeast to spill over with such force and volume.  So, here is the train track that we cross to get into our little town.  Needless to say, the daily train is not coming this way for awhile.

 This is where we cross to get into town.  There is enough space on solid ground to drive across but what a mess it was when the little creek spilled over its banks.  It took a couple of days before anyone could come this way.
 And then came the donations.  Tons of food ... this is only one fifth of the food items.  A HUGE warehouse full ... and... a week later ... donations keep coming ... and people who lost so much keep coming ... and there is still so much to give away.
 Talk about "shop 'til you drop" ... multiply this photo time about five.  Volunteers spend all day sorting, folding and saving only nice clothes.  We filled two dumpsters and even have RAG boxes so people can use 'throw aways' to clean up the mud and goop that is caked on basement floors and walls.
    
Many people lost their winter clothes that were stored the basement.  I helped one family with teenage girls.  They had a ball.  They were not picky at all but made sure that they took no more than they needed.  They are outfitted for the winter with plenty of the cutest clothes... and funky boots and shoes.
This is only one building.  Another building holds furniture, TVs, new appliances and more.  From school supplies to sippie cups ... brand new ... to cleaning items to everything one might need to furnish an entire home ... dozens of times.

 This place was first open to our small town but the donations kept coming.  So the entire county was invited to come.  Now people arrive from as far as they can drive.  The donations keep coming.

  I spent most of the past ten days in this building.  I see new volunteers each day but there is a core group who have gotten to know each other.  We don't want to leave.  We seem to linger a little longer than we should but there are kids to pick up from school and food to cook for supper.
   After about a week, some dear people began to drop off lunch for the volunteers working here.  The fire station in town feeds any and all who wish to come for lunch and dinner.  We can't get away so they bring the food to us.
God is good.
Life is good.
Our little town is good.
And we have a bit of a break from the rain, which is nice.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

9/8-9/11

We all stopped to remember, reflect and pray for those who lost loved ones ten years ago.  A somber day in so many ways.  I just now have time to talk about it.

Oh yes, we put the flag out and shared a very reflective memorial service at church... while wearing our work clothes.  We not only recalled the somber moments of 9/11/2001 but we also recalled the tense moments of 9/8/2011.  Our county got hit hard ... very hard ... by a rainstorm they later attributed to Tropical Storm Lee.

We all braced for Irene and only ended up with soggy soil and a few mishaps which I shared with you earlier.  No one said a word about "Lee."  Or, at least, there was not too much fuss.  Of course, those living near the Susquehanna River knew to place possessions on higher ground but these little creeks that meander in and around our little town?  Who knew?

Driving home from a meeting several miles away, we did fine ... until we were about a mile from our home.
 That road was blocked.
 So, we went another direction.
 That road was blocked.
 The only way to get home was to drive about three miles East and pray that the only other road into our town was open from the East.  It was!   But getting there was no easy task.

The one road that was not closed was treacherous.
 Water flooded in front of us from the corn fields at every turn.
 My husband has great eyes and could see the 'yellow line' below the swirling water.  I couldn't.
 He drove slowly and carefully in the thick darkness.
 Praise God for headlights!  Best invention ever.
Inching through the murky swirl of waves, we made it to a relatively dry road.  We turned north and prayed that the one road we could take, as we turned west, would get us home.

By God's grace, we crossed the low area where the creek was just about to overtake the road.  We made it!  One hour later and we would have had to turn around.  We returned to our home ... safe and sound ... sort of.



The rain tore into a side window that must have had a tiny opening.  The wet floor was easy to clean up and the 'sour stain' on our Matelasse drape was easily washed out.  The window installers may have been a bit frugal with the 'flashing' around the window.  So simple to prevent yet so easy to overlook.
Our basement was dry but neighbors were not so fortunate.  A sump pump was not big enough to suck up all the water flowing too fast.  An outside drain near a sliding glass door backed up and ... the basement filled quickly.  Over 300 homes in our little town filled up with smarmy water.  The newspaper showed a picture of a kitchen where water reached above the kitchen counters.
When the storm passed and the sun came out, the ducks were in heaven.  They swooped from their perches in the trees and landed in the middle of streets, on low cropland and in our little reservoir that rose about 20 feet.  It is suppose to be dry but has been filled with water for almost a month.

Our little town so far from the Susquehanna that any idea of flooding was beyond understanding.  However, we all realized that the soggy earth outside our doors could not take the 15+ inches of rain.
             And so we move on.
When I find a bit more free time I will tell you about a little church I was finally able to get to ... once the flooding subsided.  What a smelly mess in it's basement.  Yes, the insurance company will clean and fix.  But all the 'stuff' that no one guessed would be damaged... all because a window broke.  It was one of our 'sister' churches and is so beautiful.  More pictures later.
 This is not the window that broke but such a pretty church, made ready for a fresh coat of paint.  Oh my.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

This never happens here?

We are relatively new to this area but I have heard, "This never happens here" one too many times.
Our first winter we were told that the mounds of snow with 6 ft. snow drifts  'never happens here.'  The searing heat of our first summer 'never happens' ... until this summer ... when we received not one drop of rain for five weeks.  Of course, I can't complain as I have been praying for three months that Texas receive rain.  People up here had never felt strong tremors of an earthquake ... especially not from one so far away.

Now we have rain ... gushing rain ... flooding rain ... which 'never happens here.'   We drove home from a meeting last night and hit one detour after another.  We had to go thirty minutes East, through some pretty risky roads, in order to find a road that would bring us West to our home.  Our town is surrounded by water but our home is on a hill and is safe from flash floods in the area.
Our only option is to stay put.

The rain is slowing down a bit but now rivers are ready to overflow their banks.  This is a small taste of what entire states have experienced during the past year or so.
Our little church may be under water by midnight tonight.  What is not bolted down is now on higher ground ... thanks to hard work  from many who do not even attend the church.   The town knows what lies ahead as flooding HAS happened here before ... but too many years ago to count.
See that lush space at the top right corner of the picture?  Simply draw a line from the top-left corner of the picture to the bottom-right corner.  That is now filled with water.  Fortunately, we are quite high and safe from the water in this little wilderness area, as we call it.  Frogs, bunnies, birds and who knows what else use to reside here.  They, too, have scurried to higher ground.   In time, the water will seep back into the earth but, oh my, what will be left?

Our greatest fear is that soggy soil can no longer hold the tall trees by their roots. Toppled trees hit open wires and they lay across soaked land that looks more like a lake.  We dare not walk on the grass for awhile.  This too shall pass.
As I am told, "This never happens here."

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Suddenly September

One minute we are parched and hot in July and the next minute we are swamped in a deluge of rain in September.  The rain is good but now I better understand why the butterflies and bees lingered so long in our garden the other day. 

 The butterflies drink the sweet nectar of our Butterfly Bush non-stop. 

 The Rose bushes and Russian Sage offer sweet delights for the hungry bees.     I miss being outside but we are all hiding from the torrents of rain that still gush forth. 
 I wonder where butterflies and bees hide from the rain.

 Throughout the summer I lingered on my upstairs porch, a good distance from our little bird house. Mama and papa bird frantically flew in and out of the house with food.  All too soon, two fat birds flew the coop.
    To my surprise, another family moved in and before I knew it, another two fat babes flew away.  Then a THIRD pair of birds set up house and raised two more chubby birds.  What a summer!  Three families, six babies!    
     Now the little house lies empty, except for feathers and grass pressed into the walls.  I miss all the action.  The birds are out there somewhere, enjoying their freedom.   I guess it's time to clean the inside and tuck the little house away for next year.                                                         
 It is cold and soggy now but I know sun and warmth will return, at least until mid-October.
 I want to linger outside a little longer.