5 FEET HIGH AND RISING

Sundays are supposed to be unforgettable worship filled days,but today, for us although there was a lot of praying from time to time, has been unforgettable for a not so pleasant reason.That angel that stays on my shoulder woke me early this morning as the scanner was calling emergency vehicles to the road we live on for a stranded motorist in the flood waters.I'm thinking, oh no our cattle,we always put them up on the hill if there is any chance of a flood, but no forecast last night were for flooding,only light rain. I jumped up yelling for hubbie to get up,we were out the door fast with a flashlight as it was just getting daylight,I went one way,him the other,all the time praying please don't let them be trapped on the creek bank across the flooded bottom.But those prayers were not to be answered for there on one lone little green spot stood our whole herd,with water rising rapidly around them.I started to cry as I didn't see any way to save them and with the fire dept.right around the curve,but I knew it would be useless to ask them to help as they were busy rescuing people from the water.Hubbie looked up through the bottom and thought he could wade across where it was not so swift and only a little more than waist deep and maybe get the cows to follow him back that way.One of them is an old retired milk cow and she will follow you if you call to her,it was worth a try as long as he was very careful and would turn around if the water got any swifter.So he got across okay and got to the cattle but when he called to them,they wouldn't come into the shallower,calmer water,but as soon as they looked across and saw me they waded into the very swift part and started to wash downstream,hubbie tried to stop them but got caught in the swift water also and thankfully was able to swim to a tree and grab on till he could regain his balance.Some of the cattle were sinking and swimming in circles and only the hand of God could help some of the smaller,lighter ones get across,and Thank You,Thank You,Thank You, they all some how finally were on the hill beside me.#2 son arrived at that time,as I had called both sons and they were coming as fast as they could,hubbie was able to get back into the calmer water and make it across without any help,Thank You again!We got them in the hill pasture and shut the gate,then came in the house,hubbie was freezing,he got wet clothes off and took a warm shower and got back in bed trying to warm up.Forgive us Lord as we are going to miss church this morning.Our neighbors were now going through the same thing to get their cows out of the water in their pasture across the creek,they were up to their necks in the water, but they also had safe success.I guess this is truly what is called a flash flood because it caught everyone by surprise even the animals.I don't know how much rain we got but my rain gauge holds over 7" and it was running over this morning and it was still raining.Hubbie finally got warmed up and we had breakfast,we walked down to #2 son's house to check on the stranded motorist and they had gotten the lady out of the car but left her car in the water.Some of #2 son's friends were on his porch taking pictures as one of them had never seen anything like this before,she was from Sumter,S.C. and was sending pics back to her family of all the water.There was a lot of water but we have seen it a lot worse.It's hard to believe I walk under these trees everyday that I walk and my head doesn't touch the limbs,I'm 5'5" tall so that is some deep water out there.From the looks of this tree we will probably have fence work to do when the waters recede. There was a lady who drove down to take pictures of the water,then drove up to the porch where we were standing and believe it or not after she ask her questions she proceded to back into the big willow tree in son's yard while turning around right in his front lawn,people are so disrespectful of other peoples property,she didn't hit the tree hard,but it was just so ridicules to do what she did.

Hubbie and I came home to start lunch,I am going to make a ham and mac and cheese casserole that everybody loves with some fresh lima beans,and salad,mmmmmm,it was delicious!! Daughter picked up her grandpa and finally found a way around the flood to get here for lunch,she finished her dog setting job this morning.#1 son,d-in-love,g-son and #2 son all made it today as it is still raining outside.#2 son went home to make keep up with what was going on down on the road,#1 son's family left to go to a birthday party,daughter,hubbie,father-in-law and I were sitting in the living room watching TV,when hubbie said, oh my look at that!!!There was water spots on our ceiling! We went on the front porch and took a vent out of the soffitt and ,oh no, there is rotten wood under the shingles where it is leaking through.A new roof is going to be coming,that's what I get for thinking that our construction projects were over! I'll call someone tomorrow and get estimates.This day has got to get better!!!
Hubbie left to take his dad home and it is still raining lightly,but the water is receding pretty fast.Daughter and I put on boots and went to check some of the fences we could see,we have found in the past that it is easier to get the junk off the wires while it is still wet before it dries and hardens.Hubbie joined us when he got home,well the day did get better,none of our fences got washed down,a few stretched wires is all the damage we have.It is about 6:00 now and it looks different now than it did this morning!The lady came and got her car,she said she got a ticket,but there were no signs when she came down the road.Hubbie will have to pull this big tree away from the fence with the tractor when the ground dries,at least it didn't tear the fence down. Our waterhole gates are supposed to be here,I wonder if they are still under there,this calm creek sure looks dangerous today.We came up to the barn and put water and hay out for the cattle,then came in and ate leftovers for supper.
I went in my office to work on my Avon order,hubbie and daughter are grooming Dolly and Bernie.I put my order on the computer while I listened to the news,it is still raining and more is coming they say.May be another interesting day tomorrow!
It is 12:20,time to bring this day to a close and hope for a calmer one tomorrow.It is all in God's plan,I just keep believing He has everything under control and will not put more on us than we can bear. Thanking God for all the help He gave us this morning. Good Night.