Wet

Hey Humble Readers...

According to Ginny, it's "drippin'" outside.  Big drips and little drips.  LOTS of drips. 

I don't know if you've heard, or if it would even get a mention on your news, but our province is in a serious situation.

For the past 24 hours, more than two thirds of our province (geographically speaking.  Probably three quarters of our population) have been under evacuation alert due to serious flooding.  The big city to the south has hundreds of thousands of people evacuated and there are sections of the Trans-Canada highway (THE major highway across Canada) that have been washed out.  I just heard on the news that the zoo in the big city to the south may be moving the big cats from the zoo there to the jail cells below the courthouse... crazy. 

Here in the Shire, we are fine.  The Shire declared a state of emergency last night.  Our river is likely going to crest at around noon today (four hours from now), but the way that our city was laid out means that very few homes or businesses will be endangered by the high waters.  Our primary concern is for the water treatment plant.  The hobbit-hole is well above the risk of flood, thank heaven. 

Rainfall has been breaking old records left and right.  The last major flood in the big city to the south was in 2005, and they are saying that the water levels are twice as high as they were then. 

Please send prayers and good thoughts for those who have had to leave their homes, and for the emergency responders and the military who have been called in to help.

These Are The People In My Neghbourhood

Good Evening Humble Readers...

It's a quiet night in the hobbit hole.  The wee-lings are in bed, and my Beloved has gone back to work (he always has to put in overtime the first week of the month).  I'm enjoying a peaceful evening to myself, getting to watch the "Little Couple" (am I the only one thrilled that they now have their little boy?). 

By now you all know that I'm walking a lot more than I used to.  As in, almost 100% more than I was two months ago.  I'm up to walking 6.8km every morning.  If you would have told me back in April that I would be measuring my daily walks in kilometers, I would have laughed my a$$ off at you.  Every morning, my alarm goes off at 5am, and I try to be out of the house by 5:15.  Me, in my yoga pants, New York Yankees hoodie and ball cap, with my walking poles. 

I've gotten familiar with the early morning routines of those in my neighbourhood.  We live just a few blocks from the hospital, so there are a lot of hospital staff who park down our street, and when I'm out walking many are changing shifts.  Many will smile and trade "good morning"s with me when we pass on the street. 

Here are just some of the people in my neighbourhood...

• The two burly construction workers who carpool in a rusted out Tercel.  They wave and smile at me every morning.  I do wonder how they shoe-horn themselves into that car. 
• The baker at the little grocery store across the back lane from us usually takes his smoke break when I'm on my second lap of the neighbourhood.  The amazing aroma that comes from the vicinity of that grocery store is torture for a diabetic.
• The 50-something man who walks his little shi'tzu-cross (looks identical to my mom's dog) while wearing his bathrobe.  Why doesn't he pick up his dog's poop?
• The young man at the bus stop who bathes in cologne. 
• The elderly woman out watering her flower boxes before sunrise.  A couple of weeks ago I saw her trying to chase a couple of deer out of her yard, waving a broom at them. 
• The nurse who drives a mini-van with a Ravenclaw banner hanging from her rear view mirror.
• The weary-looking mom (I'm assuming she's a mom), making her way from the Ronald McDonald House to the hospital.  I pray for her and her ill child as I walk. 
• The little old man, who drives a pretty nice pick up truck, who goes through all the big dumpsters at the apartment/condo buildings in the neighbourhood looking for bottles and cans.  He waves at me every day too. 
• And while I've never seen the owner, I find myself wondering about the person who drives the little red pick up truck with the "Danger Ranger" decal across the top of his windshield.  How much of a danger ranger can they be with their little pick up? 

Like I said, there's a lot of other people that I've come to know by sight.  We smile at each other and maybe say "good morning".  I still get some funny looks with my walking poles, but the regulars are used to me.  There seems to be a camaraderie between those of us who are up and out of the house before 6am. 

I've found I actually like the early morning.  I still don't consider myself a morning person, but it isn't torture. 

Are you a morning person?  When is your best time of day?

A Police Action In the Shire

Hey Humble Readers...

It was a bit of an exciting afternoon here at the hobbit hole. 

Around noon I noticed a couple of police cruisers blocking off the cross street directly across from our front window.  By three o'clock things had gotten more serious. 

Taken from our balcony.

Tactical vehicles, a mobile command center, and a paddy wagon, along with countless unmarked cars had poured into our neighbourhood. 

Apparently, according to one of the many neighbours who were hanging out on our front lawn to watch, there was a raid on a drug house down the block, and the dealer was waving his shotgun around out his front door, and aiming at the RCMP officers.  There were several loud bangs (not shots, but perhaps those flash-bang things).

Shortly after four o'clock, the Mounties must have gotten their man, because all the vehicles started to high tail it out of here, starting with the paddy wagon. 

The really scary thing is, there was a very similar situation on the same block almost one year ago exactly. 

Is it any wonder that I want to move?