The BIG ONE is the one I never want to get. I watched it from town on radar. It concerned me because it's the first time I had seen the center of a bad cell directly over the oasis since I've been watching radar. The last, and only, BIG ONE since the oasis was created, was in the year 2000. It overran the dike around the oasis, washing some of the dike away. After that, my late husband raised the dike. It never breached again.
Yesterday, the BIG ONE went over the dike. It didn't breach it, but cut into it badly (above photo). When I first arrived at the oasis late this afternoon and saw the devastation, my first inclination was to just give up. Nature won. But then I made myself focus on what was left. My cup half full, not half empty, so to speak.
A BIG ONE inundates the whole oasis, takes away all the mulch, washes random places away, piles silt in other places, and leaves debris everywhere. In 2000 it flooded the potty shed with about a foot of water. We raised it a foot after that. Yesterday it flooded it again, although just a couple of inches. When the water recedes, it leaves a thick coating of mud inside. So much to do and so little energy. But I have time, so I'll do it bit by bit. What made it worse was that when it hit, all the tanks were already full and the ground was already saturated. No place for the water to go.
I guess the road is the biggest concern. Right now only high clearance is doable. I'm going to try to hire someone to work on it. The problem is, what's left is basically rock. It needs padding, not grading. But I'll address it as a challenge, not a problem. We'll see. It's not over til it's over.
UPDATE: It was late last night and I was exhausted when I posted this. Forget to mention that my oldest son, Eric, got all 3 pumps in top running shape in no time. He can, it's just if he will. The oasis is a full-time job and my sons have their own lives they want to live. Eric did say when he got back from a trip to Florida in a week, he'd come work on the road. That would be so wonderful if he does.
5 comments:
I'm so sorry to hear this! I pray you can get some help from folks nearer to you, to fix and shore up what needs it. You have been, and continue to be, a wonderful and amazing steward of your piece of paradise, for the birds and for all who visit. Thank you, so much, for all you do!
Thank you. My oldest son said he'd bring his tractor down in a week or so and see what he can do, so that helps my stress level over it a lot. Hopefully, it'll be passable during the Hummingbird Festival next month when groups will be visiting.
Hopefully you will get a break from having to water while you focus on repairs. Sorry to hear about the damage. Nice to have helpful kids.
Yes, I never thought I'd hope for no rain, but that's where I'm at. I can't complain when the flooding in East Texas was so much more devastating!
My sons are great and can do anything. I just hate imposing on them all the time because the oasis is a full-time job. My oldest son fixed all 3 pumps like new in no time.
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