Flood, Christmas, and Departure Date

We were awakened a week ago last Monday morning at 4:30 with a phone call from Craig saying that the creek behind their house was covering the back deck and rising. We jumped in the car and headed for west Olympia. Ken helped get some furniture stacked and move a few things as the water rose to six inches inside the house. We left Craig and Cassie to wait and watch and took Greta home with us. We kept her for two nights and I took her to school on Wednesday morning.

Craig and Cassie have a major job ahead of them, but it is nothing compared to the folks down around Chehalis and over in Grays Harbor county where the losses are in the millions. C&C have packed the entire downstairs and stored it in a storage unit they had delivered to them. Now the walls are open to two feet high and the sodden insulation removed. With help from friends, all the lower walls are removed as well as the kitchen base cabinets, the stove and the dishwasher. They have heaters and fans going to try and mitigate the damp and the mildew.

They are fortunate in that there has already been an insurance adjuster to the house, so they pretty much know how everything will shake out. And in fact have already been notified of what their settlement will be, which sounds as if it will pretty well cover the damage. But still a lot of work ahead.

We know this is the Christmas season, but other than a goodly number of hours working on some Christmas gifts for the kids, we haven't done much else. The tree is in a bucket of water in the back yard, and there are a few decorations set out. But that is okay, it allows for more space and time to focus on the true meaning. I suspect the tree will be up by Sunday along with some further decorating.

The scheduled date to leave for Arizona is December 27. We are going as far as Stayton, Oregon and will spend the evening with Cassie's parents. I have met her mom, Joan, but neither Ken nor I have met her dad so we are looking forward to the visit. As it turns out, Cassie and Greta will also be there to celebrate Christmas with her parents. By the next night we should be at our first destination of Brookings, Oregon where we stay until it is time to leave for Arizona; around the 12th of January.

We have been through Brookings a few times, and spent a few days there on one trip and quite like the "banana belt" of Oregon. It is right on the coast, so there should be some good beach exploring and seafood eating. I don't think we have ever had Cooper on a beach so that will be fun for him.

Rod and Karen are probably in the San Diego area by now after having left home on Tuesday. They were worried about the snow and whether or not they would be able to get out their driveway, but it seems the entire trip has avoided bad weather.

Now Karen and I are trying to convince brother Mike and Mary to come and visit us in Arizona this winter. I think every newly retired couple needs to bask in some Arizona sunshine during their first winter of retirement. Of course that would mean being away from grandson Ben for a while, but we will keep them busy so they won't have time to be lonesome!!!!!

One of the joys of the season is to hear from good friends that we haven't seen for years as is the case with dear friends from Nova Scotia, Giff and Betty Anne. They were one of the first couples we met when we moved there, and out of the blue, with not even knowing us, invited us for dinner, and the rest is history. They are born and bred Canadians and love their Nova Scotia, their five boys and their grandchildren. I keep holding out hope that we will get back there to see them!!