Lots and Lots of Rain

Rain was in the forecast. Lots and lots of it. 

Carrie wanted to refresh the gravel in the lots anyway, so she had a load of gravel dust delivered to get ready. Unfortunately, the guy who we'd hired to spread it, Aaron, disappeared.

We talked about spreading some of the gravel dust ourselves, but it never happened. The rains came and, boy, did it pour.

I'd left a poop bucket outside and it had already start to fill up by the time we did morning chores. I left it be to see how high the water level would rise.

My coat got soaked through the first day of the it.

The boys' side was doing okay. It was dry and the guys had been considerate enough to do most of their pooping under the lean-to. 

I still had to collect stems in the rain, but that had been expected.

The girls' side was a whole different story. The former residents (boys) had worn down the gravel dust to dirt and water was seeping in and pooling in areas under the lean-to. 

Carrie pumped water by hand while I did chores.

Carrie came out a couple of times midday to keep checking and cleaning out the girls' area.

The whole lot became a mud pit. One horse showed a desire for cleanliness, but another pair who won't be named enjoyed rolling around and wallowing in the mess!

Carrie tried to move gravel dust and fill in one of the lakes by hand while I was teaching, but there was too much water coming down and not enough time or energy in her life to combat it effectively.

Other places got hit worse than us. The school system was getting a mix of flak and praise on social media. Today would have been the first day back in school for some young kids, but ACPS closed schools. Some parents were highly frustrated while others pointed out that roads were closed and some areas flooded.

Scottsville proper was battling the James River.

There are pumps that activate in town whenever the river rises above 13 feet. The news said it crested above 21 feet this time.

The put up a wall and closed the leevee. Supposedly, this was the highest the river has been since 2010.

The schools made the right call to cancel physical school and remain virtual. It would have been a nice day off in the pre-COVID world, but with virtual teaching it was just another day. My classes went on as usual.

It rained all day and through chores at night. I spotted a pair of eyes glowing at me from the corn field as a black cat watched Loki and I work.

 The rain had stopped by the next morning. There was a lot of water everywhere!

Carrie and I used a stem to measure how much water collected in the poop bucket from earlier. We got a good 6"!

I took a video of the drainage coming off the fields and running through Maddy's lot. The 'river' flowed for over 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Abby lounged about in the mud. Micayla said she thought Abby was part pig. She hates baths and loves to get dirty!

We needed days to dry out. At some point, we need to transfer the big pile of gravel dust in our yard into the dry lots to combat the erosion and prevent more standing water in the future. There's always something to work on at a barn.

Roaring Waters (Daylight Savings 2020)

Laura was out of town, so we didn't get Sunday off from chores. We rushed out to beat the rain, but were only part successful. Shane had a much better attitude than yesterday, though. He'd learned his lesson about wearing a coat.

After that I enforced some "Peace and Quiet Time." 

Shane hated it. He bugged me every two minutes about doing something, watching something, or playing something. 

He was a lot happier when we hopped into the car and drove to Totier Creek Reservoir at 12:30 PM. 

We met Henry for some fishing fun.

And swimming fun for the dogs!

Sadie in particular was in her element. She'd run off out of sight and come back whenever Henry's mom, Molly, whistled.

There were some issues with the equipment and the boys ended up with only one working fishing rod between them. That seemed like a recipe for trouble.

However, the boys seemed to work it out (mostly). They asked Molly and I to walk on down the trail, so our talking wouldn't disturb the fish!

The dogs followed us and went for a swim, so I suppose that was better for the boys' attempts to catch stuff, too!

We were the only people around. Maybe the boys felt lonely, because they called out and shifted to where we were. 

It seemed like we had miles of open country to ourselves, but I can vouch we drove by plenty of houses at the park entrance (amazing how a bunch of trees can make you feel in a different world).

Oh, and the boys caught a fish! It was a small one and there was some grumbling when Henry wouldn't let Shane touch or hold it. 

Either as an apology or an appeasement, Henry let Shane hold the rod and Shane immediately put the hook in a tree.

The hook came off the branch in less than 20 seconds, but Henry got more possessive of his gear after that! Shane was losing his patience when we convinced the boys to move to a new spot. Henry insisted he was going to the dam and asked if an adult could follow. It was a bit bossy, but Shane thought it was a great idea. 

So we walked to the dam! A pair of teenagers drove by us and we almost had company. They started to hug in the woods and I guess they moved on when the realized we were hanging out to play!

We could hear the water roaring before we saw it.

The rain over the past several days had the reservoir looking like a whitewater rapid!

Supposedly, it's normally much calmer and you can walk out onto the rocks. I think Molly said that the water wasn't the deepest...usually. At the moment it looked dangerous.

So of course the boys went right up to it.

They had to scramble downhill over treacherous footing to throw sticks in at point blank range and maximum danger.

The pictures don't show my pulse! The danger (perceived or real) may make it more exciting for the kids, but it puts a strain on the adults. It wears you out to be on high alert at all times!

Every time the kids got close to the water, I started to calculate where'd they be swept to if they fell in, my shortest path to that point, how long it would take me, and where to throw my phone. Depending on the terrain I'd move in closer or farther (hence all the short range pictures).

I tried to not seem like I was focused completely on the kids even as I kept near. I don't want Shane to live a life of fear, so I let him do things that put me on edge. They're normally things that I would've done as a kid. I see the appeal and they enriched my life, so I want him to have the same opportunity.

Even when it gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Plus, it's not like either kid wants to get hurt. Shane can be brave, but he's also pain adverse. 

Usually. Sometimes curiosity leads him to places that push the envelope (He's always loved the look of running water!).

I called the boys back from where the rapids started. There weren't enough handholds and they started to go towards wet rocks (which are always more slippery than you expect - a lesson I've learned the hard way). 

The boys were ready to protest, but I told them I wanted to go somewhere we wouldn't worry about the dogs getting in to trouble. 

Suddenly, going back was heroic and I got no lip!

I was much happier when the boys found a little cove.

Anyone who fell in would simply get wet and not swept away.

Unless they went too far out on the rocks, at least. "Boys and danger..." Molly said.

I talked up coves as places pirates or smugglers would try to set up operations and Henry got the idea he was ready to build something.

He wanted to make a fort, but it shifted into making a bed.

Shane came up from the water (phew!) and helped to collect grass.

I'm happy to let the boys wander further away from me when there are no people and no raging currents around! The dogs helped to patrol the area, too.

Molly walked back to the parking lot to get a water bottle and I watched the boys build.

Henry told me he'd discovered a YouTube channel where he could watch moss grow.

"Time lapse, I hope?" I asked.

Of course. He thought it was a neat process....and also warned that moss acts like a sponge, so I shouldn't sit on any! He'd found out the hard way a minute prior!

Shane insisted on trying out the bed. He sang it's praises and convinced Henry to do it next.

"I thought Shane was crazy, but it is pretty comfortable!" Henry said.

A short while later, Shane wanted a drink of water. He and I hiked back to the car together.

Our afternoon got cut short when we got back to the car. Carrie called. It was just before 3 PM. She was worried. She wanted to buy more forage for Ernie, but she'd left her purse in the back of the car and Southern States closed at 4! She needed Shane and I to go on a mission.

Shane and I drove back to say our goodbyes before we embarked. It was a half an hour ride into town, so we made it with time to spare.

Shane and I went to Wegmans on the way back out of town for some groceries, too. We didn't get home till around 5 PM.

It was a more restful night. I made Shane shower and cooked taquitos for dinner. Ellie came to do evening chores and Carrie spent some time down there talking to her while we ate. Carrie and Shane ended up on the couch watching TV the rest of the night while I graded and blogged.

COVID 19 - The Coronavirus: Water!

Gardening leads to watering. After all the work we did, it seemed prudent to keep the plants alive!

The hose doesn't reach across our yard, so we filled up buckets and loaded them in the back of the gator.

I threw Loki in a box to keep him from chasing after and trying to bite the gator's wheels.

He was sad, but he eventually got out!

We scooted around the yard pouring water on trees that may not survive transplanting. They'd been out for too long before being put in the ground. We're still waiting to see if they make it.

Carrie surprised me with an awesome idea (she does do that from time to time!). She wanted to turn the gator into a 'log flume' ride!

Carrie had me put full buckets of water in the gator and then she drove off with Shane and Loki at high speed! In reverse!

She'd driven carefully to prevent spills when we were working, but now spills were the plan and purpose!

They didn't get soaked, but it was fun.

The soaking happened later when we went to water the plants we could reach with a hose! Carrie was feeling mischeivous!

Shane tried to rebuttal with a watering can, but he learned firsthand an important rule of all water wars.

The hose beats all.

Approach within it's range to your own risk!

I went in a little early as Carrie and Shane ran around. I didn't feel like getting wet!

I guess that makes me a little bit of a party pooper, but I got to record what happened next: Shane came in annoyed. He was stomping, clenching his fists, and making a full on grouch-face.

"I told her to stop and she didn't!" he said. "She's a grown up and she didn't listen!"

I laughed. Maybe it wasn't the most supportive reply.

"You're fine!" I said. "It's a water war! Everyone worries about getting wet in the beginning, but by the end everyone's soaked and it doesn't matter. It's just fun! I saw you laughing and running around!"

So yeah, I dismissed his concerns a bit. I wanted him to focus on the fun rather than there being a winning or losing. And I didn't want the ending to make him discount all the enjoyment throughout!