My photo
No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Glad I am on the 3rd floor!

While wind-driven rains can find their way into my house, fortunately none since Sunday, the river will not! I am up three floors from the bottom with little chance of the river rising enough to even threaten the first floor units. Not unless the wind pushes the water up and over with increased wave activity. My earlier posting shows photos of the nasty weather which cannot show the cold and dampness of the air. The thermometer reads 70 degrees, and some may think that is warm...NOT!
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Linda J. sent me a wonderful note via facebook this a.m. that reported at First German's staff meeting and devotion time, they sang "Jerusalem, the Golden". She said she was thinking of me, and paid extra attention to the wonderful message woven in that hymn. What tickles me is that this hymn already appeared in previous hymnals but set to a different tune. We discussed this in our Monday Bible study not long ago, where the melodies can evoke certain emotions or sentiments in us, besides the lovely message in the stanzas.
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The morning's e-mail brought some wonderful things including an article to use in the Flock Talk from the leader of the Little Lambs. Sadly, she has somehow deleted her pictures taken at their most recent event, and cannot find where she downloaded them onto her computer. I know just how frustrating that can be and I feel very badly for her, losing not only those photos but others as well. A few hours later, another mom sent me photos she had taken at the event, totally unaware of the previous situation! Talk about intuitive! I forwarded the 2nd e-mail with photos to the first mom who lost hers, hopefully filling in some of the gaps in her picture taking loss.
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As grumpy a day as it is out there, I must venture out into it to Wal*Mart, having not finished yesterday because Justin needed my car for work. When Justin and I went later in the day to get his car, (completed with the brand-new tires, $500+!!!), the wind was blowing the rain sideways. Instead of finishing the shopping, I decided to just come back home and get dried off. Yeck! My friend, Kelly T., is going to come today and help me wrap the baskets with the clear wrap and shredded paper, things she has in stock like a good mama does, so I had better be ready when she gets here! The Tuesday night Bible study donated some money and Kelly has some partial baskets ready to go, so I am giving her the collected money which she will apply to the baskets. Rather than combining the Monday and Tuesday Bible studies into one basket, having more baskets to bid on will be better, even if they are smaller or lesser in value. Makes sense to me! I will miss the whole thing because I will attending a church picnic in Manitowoc WI instead that day!

Ahoy, there matey! Where is Mandarin today?

Here is yesterday's photo, with Mandarin still visible on the horizon. The winds were more fierce at this time, as you can see by the trees in the basin.
This morning, May 20th, does not allow for site of Mandarin, nor does it show the rock barrier to the left of the palm trees. The water is so high that the grass is covered, and Joanne wonders what the birds and fish are doing, and the raccoons, trapped on that island in the basin!

Just as I snapped this one today, the wind blew the mist against my lens, which made for an interesting photo, I think. It sort of illustrates better just what we are up against here. Some areas in our county have roads underwater making it impossible for the school buses to do their pick-ups. Other neighboring counties have had nearly a foot of water, but we in Clay are not that deep---yet!