Riding Out the Storm - Part 2

Well, it's official: we now live in a bog, with a moat surrounding our house. It just won't stop raining, and it's supposed to keep raining through the rest of today. Fortunately my mom had the foresight to build a bridge of bordering-bricks from the porch to the yard yesterday evening, though now it's a couple of feet too short due to the additional rain. Of course our dogs have transformed into marsh monsters and bog babies, as I like to call them. Half mud, half fur. It's taken a toll on our kitchen floor. And as regards the two-legged creatures, I'm sitting here with wet pants and boots, having failed to dry off with a blow-drier. My mom's got some Muck Boots, so that helps, but the incessant rain still gets your pants wet, even with an umbrella.

Yet for all that, I'm more worried about our slugs and other tiny creatures that live in or crawl along the now submerged soil. I can only hope the slugs were able to get to safety under the porch, where I'm sure there are some dry areas, raised a little too. As for the worms, many have probably drowned already but hopefully some were able to get to higher, drier ground. I can't speak for the insects, winged or no, but I'm sure many of them have found a place to crawl into. As far as I'm concerned, though my parents might disagree with me about some creatures, namely spiders and cockroaches, our garage, shed, porch, and even house are open to those that need shelter.

Today I made a video of our marshy surroundings. I was able to hold my video camera in one hand while shielding it with the umbrella in the other hand, while hopping from brick to brick. So, while you're admiring my deft footwork, you can clearly see the extent of the flooding. You can see all the pools, rivulets, and tiny waterfalls. Our dogs, Andy and Katie, make an appearance as well. Andy's well-worn path to his "racetrack," where he runs in a circle while barking at who-knows-what, is filled with water. The ground is saturated. Your feet squish with each step. And still the rain keeps coming!

Blogger wouldn't let me upload the video directly, as it's too big (though only 7 minutes in real time), so here's the YouTube version: