Since I last posted on this blog, thousands of people in this part of Colorado lost their homes and all their belongings in a terrible flood. More than 85% of the mountain roads and the highways in the area just north of us have been damaged or destroyed. Some of the mountain towns are completely isolated - there is no way to get in or out - other than by helicopter. Many of the homeowners don't have flood insurance; the regular homeowner's insurance does not cover floods, there is a Federal flood insurance program which actually is very inexpensive. Before I married Paul I lived in an apartment complex that was not far from a dam, so I inquired about the flood insurance - just in case that 500-year rain came while I was living there.
In a town about 25 miles from where we live, the trailer parks were completely destroyed. Living in those trailers were the poorer people, many of them were illegals who had come here to work in the meat packing plants. I don't know if they can even apply for assistance from FEMA. Probably they would be afraid to since they don't have documentation and could be deported.
Our road was flooded one day, so we had to take a detour to get to our place, but that was just a minor inconvenience.
Eight people have lost their lives in the flood, and it's surprising that the number isn't higher. There was so much water from several days of heavy rains, areas flooded that would normally never be in danger of flooding. I can't imagine how it must feel to have nothing -- no home, no clothes, none of the things that one holds on too through the years because they have sentimental value.
The lesson is to not get too attached to things -- they can disappear in an instant. On one of the TV news programs, they showed people removing their most valuable possessions from their homes as the water came higher and higher. It was surprising (maybe not?) how many people were carrying out their huge televisions sets.
Otherwise -- we are going about our daily work, marking time till Paul's surgery. He was told to take it easy between now and the surgery, but that's like telling the sun not to come up in the morning. We didn't know his condition was so serious till the cardiac surgeon explained to us what we were seeing when looking at the sonogram pictures. Lots of people are praying for him, and I'm not worried about the surgery because he's in good hands -- and I don't mean just the surgeon. His younger son is coming from Nashville to stay with us and help me during Paul's recuperation. I'm so thankful for that, because I have a difficult time getting around and the pain from the spinal stenosis has gotten worse so I'm worried how I'll be able to cope with it all. Paul's children and my daughter and her husband have all offered to help in any way. They will all be at the hospital waiting with me during the 6-hour surgery; we will be having a family reunion in the waiting room while Paul sleeps through the whole thing!
My cleaning gal is here this morning - she is such a blessing! And such a luxury for me!
signing off for now -
Verlyn
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