Flooded again!

[SedonaThunder]

Well, I made it through Friday only having the front half of my lawn submerged before the water receded. However, the big storm that came through Tuesday/Wednesday was too much for my already waterlogged property. (I can't get more than one picture to load on this post so I guess I do multiples...)

My front porch stairs to my submerged front yard.
http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/438/2714964150057455579S425x425Q85.jpg

[WashingtonBoy]

Aw, jeez. We'd been wondering how you had fared during the latest round.

[WashingtonBay]

Aw geeze.... I've been wondering about you.


(on edit.... honey, we both said aw geeze ;))

Sedona... why can't you load more than one picture?

[rums_mom]

I saw a report on the news yesterday about the heavy rains and flooding, I didn't realize they were hitting you.

Is there anything you can do to avoid this in the future? Maybe put in a pond in your front yard with drainage pipes to drain off the rest of the yard?

[SedonaThunder]

Well now it won't let me use the "insert image" at all so here are some thumbnails.

1. My fence to the road - the water is about six inches deep over the road.
2. The "backroom" in the barn where we usually store hay - thank goodness I moved it on Monday.
3. This is the current crossing my patio!
4. Lele's stall fared better than I'd expected.
5. The feedroom has about two inches of water standing in it.

When I heard this was coming I spent all day Monday cleaning the barn and making phone calls to figure out where to move the horses. I knew I had to go back to work on Wednesday and wouldn't want to worry all day wondering if the horses were standing in water. I ended up with two choices... a four acre grassy pasture on a hill with a 10x20 loafing shed or a boarding stable with two indoor stalls and one outdoor pen with enclosed shed. I was heading the pasture route knowing my horses would be happier but my vet called and said "NOOOOO - the weather has been too nice this Fall and the grass is still dangerous for horses like yours who are only on it 4-8 hours a day... if they're on it 24 hours a day for three days we could end up with colic or founder". When the horses were putting up a BIG stink getting put in those stalls, I kept telling them it wasn't my idea and it was for their own good... I almost cried leaving them there!

[rums_mom]

Oh dang, KL! Are you going to be all right? I will be watching the weather report closely and will be worried about you. I will keep you in my prayers that you have seen the worse of it. That water is sure rushing by fast in that one picture. A little too close for comfort for me.

Good luck..........I will be thinking of you and sending vibes for you and your horses safety.

[FoxFireEMT]

O my goodness.... Good thoughts heading your way!!!

[SedonaThunder]

More pics...

1. Looking off side deck toward Lucy's yard... you see her pools are now level with the waterline - she's the only one enjoying the water!
2. This is me standing in my driveway... it's about four inches deep.
3. Very impressed with how the paddocks handled the water. You can see the pasture water is coming up and in but the horses would have still had a bit of dry area out there.
4. This is looking "upstream" - which is east.

All the lots on this street are narrow ten acre rectangles with the houses at the front skinny part. My back nine, along with the people on one side of me and the two lots behind, me are all full of water and it goes under the highway and on up into the foothills. This is runoff from the surrounding mountains and there would be no pond big enough to contain it. The old timer neighbors say this didn't happen ten years ago but there have been housing developments built on swamp lands (that held a lot of runoff) and the creeks are no longer dredged in fear of ruining salmon beds. The water has to go somewhere and when man messes with the environment it will still find a way down however it can... it's just bad luck that I'm the one with the lowest property on this plateau.

[FoxFireEMT]

Wow...

[WashingtonBay]

So they are at the boarding stable now?

I dunno about the warning from the vet, but I guess safer than sorry. I don't know about up there but even with these warm temps the grass seems pretty dormant.

I had to rewind several times on NWCN this morning because there was a gal leading a big red horse into a stall at the Monroe fairgrounds that looked just like you and your Timber, but I couldn't figure out why in the world you would have taken them clear to Monroe.

[PoniesRock101]

awwww thats not fun! hope the flooding goes down quickly, wish ya coullda put your horses in the pasture.........

[PoniesRock101]

aww......... i feel your paine, when we just moved in there was a small barn who had alot of horses, but developers built all around it (ofcourse) so it flooded way too much so they had to get rid of all the horses. now for somereasoon it stopped flooding, no clue why but now maybe 15 years later or more, they have one horse.

[SedonaThunder]

I WISH my horses were at the fairgrounds for free... but when I called the King County Fairgrounds (now the "ExpoCenter") they told me that they'd gutted the barn and had no place for horses but "maybe next year". One place I called quoted me $20 a day per horse, the pasture was to be $5 per head per day and the place I landed (on my street but no water down there) was $15 but I talked her down to $10 by telling her I WANTED to feed my own horses and I'd be happy to clean their stalls. It is nice and close but locked down like Fort Knox so let me tell you how fun it is to be working a combination lock in the dark with water coming down on you like you are standing in the shower! I'm here to tell you that I don't care how "waterproof" you think your gortex ski coat is... try standing in your shower with it on and see how long before your tshirt underneath is soaked through - so NOT fun.:(

Sedona and Lele seem fine in their pen/enclosure strange thing... I hate that it's sand and there's no windows in the building (12x30 shed) but Lele seems to say "oh - another field trip" while Sedona is just busy being glued to her side. Thunder and Timber aren't faring so well... Thunder has never been in an enclosed stall and has had liquid diarhea for three days now - while Timber seems to think he's been sent back to his old life and isn't drinking much, is eating half his food and has been sweating since I dropped him off. I am HIGHLY tempted to bring them home tonight even if their stalls still have a wee bit of water in them.

[WashingtonBay]

Well jeepers. At least the water should be on it's way down. I have to say the paddocks looked pretty good. The barn seems to be just a little higher than your yard and driveway, anyway.... I was afraid all your gravel and footing work would have been washed away.

[SedonaThunder]

Yes - the barn is "safer" because the woman that lived here before me "snuck" in ten loads of fill before the neighbors called and reported her. She had intended to go right on down the property line but got caught, went to court and got a big fine. The neighbor was none to appreciative of her "pushing the water his way".:)

I'm going to take a break (I'm working from home) and go down to throw my ponies hay and check on them. I just checked the barn again and it looks NO different than it did at 10am! Well I guess there is less water in the feed room and center of the barn but Timber and Lele's stall still has water in the front third. Do ya'll agree that having a little water in your stall and being home is better than being cooped up in a dry and WARM stall away from home? I'm not sure if I'm thinking clearly trying to convince myself it's better for them to be home or if it's just me wanting them home.:innocent:

[WashingtonBay]

Well, note for the future planning of BaywindFarm... be on high ground and plan some space for temporary boarders, either traveling or evacuating water. In the case of the latter... make it cheap!


I wish we were closer and set up to let you come down here for those times... because this winter isn't over yet.

[WashingtonBay]

If they can stand on firm ground then maybe bringing them home is the right thing, at least the ones that are stressed out. Even if the barn's wet, it's not going to rain the next several days, they don't need it.

[SedonaThunder]

Good idea WB! And yes... I have wished you were closer on more than one occasion.:(

I really want them home tonight... hmmm... the $40 I'd save can pay for the lost bag of dog food in the garage and maybe the two sheets of wood to replace the ones Sedona or Lele kicked a hole through last night. So they have a little wet area in their stall, better than standing in soggy sand and dark stalls, right???

[SedonaThunder]

Have to run now but I'm thinking about this barn they're at and I have comments to chat with you abouton your future barn plans!

[WashingtonBay]

For the next few days, it's going to be sunny and dry, if the forecast holds. If the barn at home is a problem you could even close them out of it.

OK - we'll chat later!

[Gypsy Rose]

Glad to know you're safe, Sedona! Hope everything starts to settle down soon, and the water keeps receding!

[lovesfortune]

I was wondering how you were doing! I hope that the horses come home soon and Thunder and Timber realize you didn't give them away or something! :)

I can't imagine all that water. I was complaining that the pasture was muddy today and now I know I should be thankful it's just mud.

Let us know if you bring them home tonight. Sending prayers your way that the water goes down quickly.

[magayle]

oh you poor girl!!!!! stay safe

[HoustonFarrier]

I feel for ya. That used to happen to us before we moved....my Clydesdales once spent a week on our back porch!

Hang in there.

Steve