Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, January 25, 2010

And the Wall Came Tumbling Down


We need an ARK!!!! On Sunday, it rained and rained and rained .... We had flood warnings all over the area. And during the night Saturday night, we had very HIGH winds. I thought the house was coming down once or twice. SCARY... Our windchimes were not singing... They were HOLLERING for dear life!!!!

We live on the downside of a hill---so everything from above comes our way--and then continues to go ON down the hill, between our house and the golf course fairway. Here are a few pictures of our 'flooding'. The worst thing for us is that our new flowerbed wall beside the ditch out front fell in one place. Note picture above. The water was so strong that it washed the dirt out from UNDER the blocks.. We have never had THIS much water coming down the hill. We'll definitely have some work to do to rebuild the wall in several places!!!! Below are more pictures.





George is working hard to widen the ditch area --so that the water won't wash out more of the wall... Hopefully his hard work helped!!!!





This a picture taken from our deck showing the lower side of our backyard.





This is the middle of our backyard--looking toward the golf course fairway. There were four deer out on the fairway earlier in the day, but we didn't take any pictures.





This is the cascade in our back yard (near the golf course). This is the one which I showed totally FROZEN recently. I kept wondering while watching it continue to rain and rain just how much snow we 'could' have had IF the temperatures had been 15 degrees colder!!!! Darn!





This is the ditch in our front yard (lower side of yard)... You can see the puddling on the driveway and also on the road.





A closer view of the water going down the hill --in our ditch; This is the lower side of the house in the front yard. LOTS of water!





Flooding in the side-yard flowerbed





This is the lower side of the yard--looking from the driveway toward the golf course fairway. Note the wood pile to the right. Don't think that that wood will burn for awhile!!! ha (Glad we have some stored in the garage!!)

The good news is that we are FINE.... Flooding always scares me --but except for the wall, we had no other damage.... Weather-related problems are not fun though anytime or anywhere.

Hope you had a good weekend!

Hugs,

P.S. Both of 'my' teams won their football games yesterday... Now my dilemma is who to 'root' for in the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning is my favorite QB---BUT I love the Saints. I lived in New Orleans for about 5 yrs. in the '80's when they were NOT a good team... Then Katrina happened. The city of New Orleans 'deserves' this more than anyone else. SO--I'll probably be for the Saints--but won't be unhappy if the Colts win!!

60 comments:

Jo said...

Oh Betsy;) now you have your own personal waterfall in your backyard (LOL!) I'm pleased you're all OK though. Flooding is frightening. Your poor wall. I hope it hold up now. I've just phoned home and Emily tells me it's been POURING for the past five days. (((Hugs))) Jo xxx

Jayne said...

Oh, my! Hate to see that rock wall be crumbled. I hope George's efforts paid off. We had 2.5 inches here too in about 12 hours time. Standing water everywhere. Maybe we'll all dry out this week. ;c)

Kelly said...

...wow....what is up with you guys and the rain? You had a lot this fall too. That is definitely a torrent.

RoeH said...

Wow. That's what I felt like last Thursday night when that last storm came in. It came from the west and hit my house with a vengence. I actually loved it but that was when I was starting to hear dropdropdrop.....and yup....I have a leak somewhere. Nature is interesting.

Kirigalpoththa said...

Thought torrential rain is only in the tropics :)

Beth said...

Oh dear...so sorry about your wall, Betsy! We had the same deluge here with considerable flooding in our area. On Saturday, Tom and I spent five hours out in the slick and slimy slough that is our driveway---trying to fill the huge ruts that his worktruck had made, so we could get in and out of our driveway. We both ended up covered in mud ourselves. I don't even want to look now to see what this storm did to our work. *Sigh*

T said...

HOLY COW that's a lot of water!

Sorry about the wall, but glad no major damage to your home or you guys was sustained!

Nina said...

I hope you dry out soon. At least it's not 40 days and 40 nights. Look for the rainbows!! Up here we had loads of rain and all I kept saying was, Thank god it's not all snow!! ((smiles)) Stay warm and dry and find rainbows behind every cloud. Blessings to you and yours. Love and Light, Nina p

Unknown said...

Oy! We are getting the rains & high winds last night & today also. Oh, how the winds howled all night at high velocity.

Hope the damage is minimal for you.

Have a beautiful week.
TTFN ~ Marydon

amelia said...

Wow!!! That's a lot of rain!!
I'm so jealous seeing the rhododendron in the picture! I want all the flowers and shrubs that can't survive here because of the climate!
At least you are OK and damage was minimal. That's the main thing. Walls can be rebuilt, personal safety is important!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Betsy, I am not a football fan, but am so happy with who will be in the SB this year!
Oh, that poor wall. Oh, that poor George...all that work he did. I hope it was easily fixed and you didn't officially have to call in for an ark. If you do though, you can start by filling it with MY animals!!!

Tabor said...

We got that rain last night and this morning. It is wet everywhere. We live on a peninsula so all the water is down in the ravine. So sorry for the destruction of that lovely brick wall.

Arkansas Patti said...

So glad the winds did no damage and hope George will be able to repair the wall.
Think you have to go with the Peyton. Isn't he a former UT quarterback. I love his commercials and he is a marvelous QB.
The good thing is that who ever wins, you can be happy.
Dry up now.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Wow, Betsy, you don't have to go far to see a waterfall today. What a shame about the retaining wall. Hope it won't be too difficult to repair.
Marnie

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Oh my goodness,you have rain and flooding,we have snow and a raging blizzard. All schools in the area have been cancelled and driving is not recommended.So this means I will have a whole day to play with me Mac.LOL
Blessings,Ruth

Harriet said...

We sure have had the rain this weekend!! I'm glad the sun is out this morning. We can dry out before the next rain gets here later in the week.
Hope the wall can be fixed without too much trouble.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Oh my! I love to see pictures of people's yards, but am sorry I had to see yours in this shape the first time. It looks like you live in a mud bog. Did George make that nice wall? We are having the same weather here, and have a flood watch today. So things look pretty much the same as there. Winds and pelting rain all day and last night. Let's listen for the first songbirds after the deluge. It looks like you have quite a bit of lovely property, I sure hope to see pictures of it all shortly when it's pretty again!

Small City Scenes said...

Oh me Oh my!! It looks like you are getting all the rain in the universe---well maybe except for Southern California. How terrible and your poor new garden wall.
I hope things are settling down now and the sun will come out and dry you off. MB

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Gracious! That cascade is almost your own little waterfall! -sigh-

MadSnapper said...

what you had yesterday we had today, you will laugh when you see my blog. great minds think some what alike. weather wise anyway.
I love when pictures tell a story and these sure fit the bill. Great shots and they came out so clear even with the rain. i am so glad you had only a little damage. Of course it may seem like not so little to George when he is building it back. Hope your weather is beautiful today, love the story.

Darla said...

Betsy, I hear you about the flooding rains, our neighbors drive way washed out!! My guys are happy with the football victories too.

Sunny said...

Oh no, your poor wall! Poor George!
It's pouring here today and very windy, last night it was icy. Crazy weather!
Take care.
Sunny :)

Cedar ... said...

Wow,... Mother Nature is sure swinging her baseball bat on your area. Good luck with that wall.

Janie said...

I'm sorry to see the damage to your wall after all George's hard work in building it. At least the water seemed to drain around the house, not into it!
Too bad the moisture didn't come down in snow. That's prettier, and the melting usually doesn't cause problems.
Sounds like you can root for both teams in the Super Bowl. I don't really watch football, but I'm theoretically a Saiints fan...

Jen said...

That water is strong! poor Georges's wall.
Yeah, just imagine of all that rain was snow, I probably could have heard you up here in Ky hoot'n and hollar'n! ha!

Dorothy said...

So sorry about that water damage! Poor George, his work is cut out for him!

Together We Save said...

Wow - we did not get as much rain as you... thank goodness. Hope you are drying out now.

As for the superbowl... for me it is Peyton all the way.

Cassie said...

Betsy, Glad that there wasn't more damage. Those stacking bricks aren't really very sturdy. I stepped on one as we left a restaurant on my birthday and got thrown to the ground. I still have a goose egg size lump on my thigh.

We've had some flooding here in Phx,Scottsdale--Valley of the Sun area, but no harm here at the condo for us. A huge cactus took a hit and a few branches off trees, but Pat's car didn't get crunched this time. (PTL!) Happy Monday!
x-c

Kay said...

Oh Oh, you are getting those heavy rains that we had here in SoCal last week. We were flooded too. What a mess.
Kay

I Am Woody said...

Oh no - poor George has his work cut out for him! That weather was crazy!!

Pedaling said...

the rains came down
and the floods came up

all across the nation
my home state, arizona got hit hard as well!
and cali!

Rose said...

Wow, Betsy! That must have been pretty powerful to do that to your flower bed. Imagine all the weight that is on those bottom blocks!

I will be for the Colts, but won't mind if the Saints win...I think. haha I really wouldn't have been upset if the Vikings had won either. You know, it should be a really good game.

BTW, we are having snow flurries.

Diane said...

Water can be so destructive and it always follows the ancient paths. Glad you survived with only some damage to your wall. Good shots.

Betsy Brock said...

Oh my...you have your own mini Niagra Falls there!

Sounds like the Super Bowl will be a win-win for you! :)

Cheryl said...

Oh dear! Sorry about the water damage to the hard work that George put in. I was thinking how ironic that you and George love waterfalls but not the kind that is running through your yard! We have about two feet of snow here and its raining hard. There is no where for the water to go and it will cause a lot of problems with flooding on the roads. We are to get very high winds later on as well. But, as I try to remind myself "it could always be worse", like the poor Haitians are enduring!

Karin said...

Oh no!!!! I wish it all had come as snow - it melts slower and seeps deeper into the ground. So sorry George has so much work with the damage done to his lovely flower bed. So glad you are fine and no trees hit your house during the windstorm. Keep safe! You're in our thoughts and prayers! Hugs!!

Cicero Sings said...

Oh my Betsy ... what a flood! I'm so sorry for poor George ... all that hard work building that wall only to have in undermined just months later. A bit discouraging. Hope it goes together again without too much difficulty.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Aaghh Betsy !
You know when I first saw the picture of your wonderful wall, back in the early Summer, I wondered where the run-off water would go if it rained really hard.
Now I know ! Through it.....
We also live where water runs downhill and have come home to a flooded garage on several occasions.
I hope you can repair your stacked wall, George truly did a great job on it, it would be a shame not to put it back as it was originally.
We're having blowing snow, you too ?
Hugs,
Jo

Anonymous said...

Oh Betsy, I'm so so sorry about that - It was so nicely done, too!
Well, I hope it dries up soon - We got some snow flurries this morning for just a little while - No accumulation tho

Naturegirl said...

Betsy it is amazing how you always like to venture to nature waterfalls in far away hideaways and now you are dealing with one in your own yard...stay dry..hope that rains clear and that wall does not get more damage!!aNNa

Betty said...

O'my that is to bad about you pretty wall.I hope George can fix it with out to much trouble. You did have your own waterfall for a while.
~~Hugs~~

Snap said...

I know you love waterfalls, but having your own private cascade is a little much!!!!! ;D ;D ;D Stay high and dry!

SmilingSally said...

Aw, your poor husband worked so long and hard on that beautiful wall. What a shame!

carolina nana said...

Hi Betsy, You make me feel better at least I know there was someone else out in the rain snapping pictures of all the water. Our yard looked like yours Sunday night,this is the worst flooding we have had since those 2 hurricanes came through a few years ago.But like you I am just thankful the damage isn't any worse. I am starting to hope for snow now instead of rain! Have a blessed day.

LV said...

I read where you were getting all that terrible weather. My sister said they did too, but not as bad as you. Trust there was no major damage and things will soon dry out. I always root for the under dog. I really do not care too much since my Cowboys blew it, but since the Saints have never been in a super bowl, I will root for them.

The Retired One said...

I hope you dry out soon!
Yes, you gotta wonder how much snow you would have gotten if this had been snow instead of rain!!!
Hang in there!

EG CameraGirl said...

So sorry the weather is making George work so hard!

Yes, high winds can be very scary. I'm glad that you and George are OK.

diane b said...

Oh! that must have been scary when the strong winds came and with all that water. It must be awful having to fix the wall in the cold rain. At least when it pours here it is warm. At least you are both safe and you have your own personal waterfall in your back yard. Hope the bad weather has gone. It is so hot here we have to stay inside in the aircon.and worry about the size of the electricity bill.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hello Betsy,

You sure did get some flooding..great photos! The same happened here but naturally I have no standing water..hehe .....but the creek that meanders at the base of this ridge is almost overflowing and looks like white water rapids. Several yards along that road are flooded too.

I had to run a quick errand today and it started spitting snow..right before dark it was a white out with snow....but only lasted for a short time...I guess we will get more tonight and tomorrow.

Hugs,
Stephanie

Wendy said...

Wow - that's quite a lot of water in one storm!! I hope you get your wall fixed. We've had rain all day long and nice spring-like temps. Unfortunately, it will all freeze over in the next few days.

With all that water in your yard, you just might attract a family of ducks!

penny said...

It looks like the waterfalls came to you and George this time Betsy. I hope it doesn't do any more damage to the beautiful wall George spent so much time and effort building.

Connie said...

Oh my, Betsy. You certainly did get more than you needed of the rain. Sorry to hear about your wall, but I'm glad that is all the damage you have to worry about. It could have been much worse, I suppose.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: That is so sad, now to get a solid ground to work on again.

Anonymous said...

glad you are okay. we are having plumbing issues at home. water probelms are a nightmare.

Joyful said...

Thankfully it was only a part of your wall that came down and not your house with all the weather related calamities we've been reading about. I'm sorry that some of the hard work has to be done again though. I loved looking at the photos of your yard. It looks so beautiful with the woods there.

Connie said...

Now that the monsoon has passed we're getting into frezing tempatures again. East Tennessee weather wears me out. I'm ready for spring.

Poor George. I know he'll have everything back in order soon. You have such a pretty yard, and beautiful flowers.

SquirrelQueen said...

Goodness Betsy, that is a lot of water. It must have been roaring through to wash the dirt out from under the blocks like that. I'm glad to hear that was the worst of your damage and that you and George are fine.

I hope rain is over for awhile in your area.

Hugs,
Judy

storyteller said...

WOW ... a waterfall of your very own! Sorry about your wall ... glad you're okay and that the damage was minimal. I've been having trouble visiting because Mozilla keeps crashing (It seems I have a faulty WLAN card) ... but I'm doing what I can this morning catching up in my reader before clicking over to comment. I did post at Sacred Ruminations and Small Reflections recently. I loved your 'Portrait Session' and Northrup Falls post. You do live in beautiful country with lots of different birds dropping by to visit. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
Hugs and blessings,

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Betsy, so sorry you suffered damage. Glad the water did not enter your house. i never thought moving so high above sea level we would ever have to worry about flooding again.

Hopefully the torrential rains are over with for a long time.

Hugs!!!

DeniseinVA said...

Wow, so sorry to read you had this damage Betsy. Always very scary.