Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Flooding in Hutchinson



This is my mailbox. It used to be on solid ground. Water in some places is up to the middle of car doors.



I'm faring better than some of my neighbors to the east.



We live on a major street, with four lanes, but only one of them is navigable and that's not really a lane so much as it is straddling the middle of the road - even then cars are making big splashes.



And my flowers that were so beautiful this morning are trashed. We've had hail three more times since the initial one.



In case you can't tell, that was a beautiful lambs ear that's now a puddle of light green, beaten to pieces. The pink is what is left of my pinks. The yellow was once a daylily. The speck of purple was salvia. Poor flowers - it's only mid May and they've had frost, snow, hail and a flood. It's not shaping up to be a good year.

Oh... more hail just started. I should get away from windows I suppose.

Hail in Hutchinson



This afternoon we have had one of those storms I dread - a hail storm in Hutchinson, Kansas. As you can tell, we had some significantly sized hail. I just scooped these up out of the yard and took a photo on the porch so they had already melted a little bit.



It came with lots of rain. The white swirls you see on my walkway are hail that is being swept away with the torrent of water toward the sidewalk.



I haven't been able to go look at the car yet, but I'm sure it shows signs of the events. I'm also certain my flowers didn't enjoy this too much. I may have to replant my herbs and tomatoes.



I couldn't even go out to get a photo because it was hailing onto my covered porch. I tried to go out twice before I did, but the hail was pelting my lower legs so hard I couldn't stand to be out. That was on my covered porch. But, as you can see, it accumulated some hail.



I guess there's nothing left to do except call the insurance agents. I don't relish dealing with all that. My guess is I may have some roof damage as well. We'll see.

Auction

Some weeks ago I was asked to donate a hand painted journal to an auction. The proceeds are going to help the family of a middle school girl locally who's undergoing treatment for bone cancer.

I'm happy to donate. I'm unhappy that it's necessary.

It makes no sense at all that in a country where people make millions of dollars a year to play basketball or sing songs when they're not busy baring their private parts or pretend to be someone else in a movie or run a company who's main business is to bilk people out of their retirement, that a family in Hutchinson Kansas cannot afford medical treatment for their child. What kind of sense does that make? None. Absolutely none.

I am happy to donate this, but I'm unhappy that it's necessary. The few dollars it will bring at the auction will not make a dent in this family's bills. They're occupied thinking about paying for treatment when all they should be focused on is their child.

The medical system in this country is an embarrassment. It should embarrass all of us that we have not demanded better for ourselves and our communities.