Bits & Pieces

Some years bad-luck just settles in and takes a huge bite out of our butts - bad-luck chews and chews until she's had her feel, and we suffer for her bloated and greedy ways.

Our Boar's Nest suffered from last weeks flood. This weekend we gather to assess the damage and clean and salvage those items not ruined forever. I had left my old Army cot, a beautiful military issued sleeping bag, vintage Coleman lanterns and stove, and antique kerosene lanterns in the building. According to FEMA this was an historic flood. The highest waters ever recorded for the river where we have the Nest built. Our stilts were not sufficient, high enough, for the flood.

In our storage trailer we have stored prep items and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Most of the ammo is packed within ammunition cans, and much of mine, in sealed battle packs. I hope its all dry, and if not, we'll unpack it and allow the ammo to sun dry. Most military ammo has sealed primers. I sure won't throw it away.

The reports I've received from locals is if you were in a boat riding the flood it was possible, while sitting in said boat, to reach and touch the top of the Boar's Nest. Bad stuff.

We'd just installed new insulation. Hopefully we'll be able to salvage some of it. We're not sure if the insulation wicked the water, if so, it too is gone.

Pictured above is one of two very old American made lanterns I left stored in the Boar's Nest. I think I remember it sitting atop one of the storage cabinets. Hope my memory serves me well, I'd hate to lose it.

The building itself I'm sure is fine. We'll clean out the mud, replace and repair. Adversity shall be kicked in the butt.

*****

My Sweet Wife is depressed, badly. I'll not spell out the reasons, hell, you know the story. Anyway, I've noticed of late she has been spending hours with a laptop deep into research. I never asked why simply because it kept her busy and her eyes were free of tears.

A couple of nights ago she came to me and said, "I want to adopt a child. I want a little girl no one can take from us." She continued, "There are hundreds of children out there begging for a home, a family, and they need love."

I didn't bat an eye...maintained my composure. Wiped my nose, scratched my head. Then, "Okay."

She smiled. And, once again, all was right with the world. She fell asleep that evening without a tear.

So, we'll try again. The process begins today. You, I'm sure, might have noticed I haven't written as much of late. Now you understand why my blog has taken a hit on the number of blog pieces posted. For the last few nights we've been deep into web research on adoptions.

We've raised a child, a boy. He didn't turn out so well. We've asked ourselves why, where did we go wrong, and we just cannot find an answer. This time, we'll ask a little girl if she wants a loving mother and father. If she'd like to be our little girl, our daughter. There is a void in our lives and it needs to be filled, we need a child to love.

I've found six or seven little girls, on the Florida agency web-search, I want to bring home, now. To read their on-line descriptions, and see their little faces, is enough to break your heart. Those little girls need my arms around them, and I need their hugs in return. I want another little girl to raise. To protect. One of mine own.

Thus begins a very long process.

Oh, by the way, it's a secret. Don't tell anyone.

Stephen

Just Another Wednesday

I've grown webbed feet. My gills have formed and I'm certain this green stuff on my arms is algae.

It itches.

My rain gauge has been emptied twice and both times it overflowed. It holds just a tad over six inches.

We're wet, and the rivers and creeks of this area are well above flood stage. Welcome to sunny Florida.

Sorry for the silence. My internet went out yesterday, early. Not so bad as it gave me a chance to read and watch the down-pour. Went home and continued to read, and watch the steady and unrelenting rain.

My driveway slopes up and then flattens at the top. I keep our travel trailer parked back and next to our privacy fence. When I arrived home it was parked in about two inches of water. A mess of leaves and debris had formed a dam where the upper and lower driveway meet. I kicked and scrapped and stood back and watched the rush of water as it flowed down my drive and into the street. The waters came within a few inches of flooding my garage.

Fiddler crabs now graze my lawn.

Reports are the groups's bug out location, the Boar's Nest, is now occupied by catfish. The building sits high on piers so hopefully the interior is dry. We have an old Airstream travel trailer parked nearby and I'm hopeful my ammo cans are water tight. I'd hate to lose thousands of dollars of ammunition, and other preps, but I'm sure the trailer is flooded.

The local horse, pastured next door, has taken his weekly bath.

Hey, I've business to run. See you good folks later.

Stephen