Good morning.  I spent last night veging and playing with psp.  I hadn't done that since before Christmas, and found myself enjoying it a lot.  But I also enjoyed the break.  I thought the end result was rather cute.    Of course I'm also a bit prejudice. 

The layout was actually a tutorial that I followed, the colors and pictures mine.  The rose, font, and mask someone else's.

Today I get to grocery shop.  I haven't done a real grocery shopping since December 10th.  I am soooo ready to get stuff.  Fortunately I planned well, and we never truely ran out of anything.  But oh my are we low on everything.  And last night we had no oil and no margarine.  So when I went to fry chicken I rather panicked.

I studied the contents of my fridge about 6 times and had a brain storm.  I dumped a huge gallop of mayonaise in my frying pan.  Its main ingredient is oil after all.  The chicken was wonderful!  I browned it on one side for about 5 minutes, flipped it to the other side for 5.  And then turned it town low for 35 minutes.  It was sooooooooo moist.  I just rolled it in flour and Johnny's seasoning salt.   I think I might have accidentally created a new favorite!  I didn't tell my husband what I'd done until he'd taken a bite.  (He hates mayo)  And after he said MM this is good I fessed up.  He said I could do it again. 

So we've been out accessing the damage on the property.

We lost 70 feet or so of our cross fence.  Again.  Rob is theorizing that we need to put the posts in concrete so they will survive the river.  Its happened twice now, so it appears to be the new thing.  I'm not holding out a lot of hope that concrete would help...but I suppose its worth a shot.

Mud.

There's 2 plus inches of it ALL over the garage.

The wood shed as I mentioned before is smooshed.

At least three panels of our underskirting has been smooshed.  There may be more when the snow melts.  We still have 3-4 foot high banks beside our house due to it falling off the roof, and compacting.  Most of our yard is green, but not near the house.

Under the house...we can smell a faint smell of septic in our bedroom, so we are suspecting some pipes got mushed around.  But are waiting for it to be a wee bit drier under there. 

I suspect there's at least a inch of mud under there too.  But that is also to be determined.

On the plus side.   The river brought in a ton of silt and filled a lot of the hole that the maple tree made when it fell last year.  And a HUGE mud puddle that used to be where we parked is completely filled in with gravel thanks to the river.  We have hauled, and hauled, and hauled gravel to fill that sucker, and nothing worked.  We just apparently needed God's intervention.  *snicker*

So all and all nothing is too messed up.  Cleaning the garage is going to be a pain, and we're just pretending that we don't know about under the house yet...cause I'm sure that will be worse!

We had to evacuate late Tuesday night after watching the river for what seemed like an eternity.  When the river finally burst its edges it did it very very quickly.   We went from a little bit of water close to the house to wading out in shin deep water (on the adults) to get to the excursion which we had parked on high ground.  It was knee deep in the worst spots.  We had to carry the four youngest.  Rob would have preferred to carry the two older, but they were mostly troopers.

Rob then had to go back for our Ricky dog, and the Great Dane.  They both were very very unwilling to leave the house.  The Great Dane in particular has earned many prizes as the chief idiot.   He had to CARRY the thing.  In another 6 months that will be impossible.  It was virtually that as she was not interested in being rescued.  But rescue her we did.    I have to purchase some kind of pet carrier for the lizard for the next time this happens.  Cause Samuel absolutely wigged out that we didn't rescue the lizard.  I mean truely freaked.   Soooo I'll find something small.  LOL  

This was the worst flooding we've had at our house.  And I don't have a single picture cause it all happened in the dark which is probably what made it seem even scarier.  The water was definitely under our house.  And a lot of it.  We have not gone under the house to assess the damage due to the fact that there's still a small amount of water under there due to snow melt.   

Zeria and Sam once we got to the motel were old enough to understand we could be loosing everything and were extremely upset.  Zeria was a major trooper before the motel.  She carried two of our six dogs.  Jer's blanket, was helpful in getting the gate, etc.  But then melted after the fact.  I'd rather her melt then.  We would have had much more frustration without her.

KK essentially slept through it all.  She was just not intrested in the trauma.  I'm not sure she remembers it except for the waking up in the motel the next morning.

We are actually not sure why the house still isn't flooded--actually we are God!  Because all the places that normally flood when our house floods are still flooded, but we are dry.  God works.

We left the stuff in the car, because we knew high tide was at 11 last night, and that it was still raining hard.  The river got within 50 feet of our house, but no closer.   This morning it has receded greatly due to the tide and we can no longer see it from our windows.  I prefer that.

Thank you everybody for your prayers.   Oh and our neighbor who NEVER evacuates also evacuated.  Soooo great minds think alike.  And its very good to still have a house.

This picture taken just before the Great Melt of 2009. 

Not like we haven't been for the last week and a bit.  But now the news is watching too.  I'm almost ready for it just to flood and get it over with so we can move on.

I said almost.  I don't actually wish to loose my house.   I particularly like that southwest facing slopes getting 15-20 inches of rain.    Yeah I like that ever so much. 

Prayers are still appreciated even if it feels like this subject has gone on too long for some of you.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES... GRAYS HARBOR...CLALLAM...JEFFERSON...
SKAGIT...WHATCOM...KING...KITSAP...LEWIS...MASON...PIERCE...
SNOHOMISH...THURSTON.

* FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON

RAIN WILL FALL OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON BEGINNING TUESDAY AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY. RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE
MOUNTAINS...ALONG THE COAST...AND OVER THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR AND
LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY. THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS WILL GET 5-10
INCHES WITH SOME SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES 15-20 INCHES. PERHAPS 6
INCHES WILL FALL ON THE COAST AND SW INTERIOR. THE SEATTLE AREA
COULD SEE 4 INCHES OVER THE TWO DAYS AND NORTHERN LOWLAND AREAS
WILL GET AN INCH OR TWO.

THIS SUMS TO A REAL FLOOD POTENTIAL...BOTH FOR RIVER FLOODING AND
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. THIS FLOODING WILL BE DRIVEN BY
HEAVY RAIN THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY PRESENT IN NUMERICAL MODELS.
SOME FLOODING SEEMS CERTAIN...AND MAJOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON
SOME RIVERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS IN CASE CONDITIONS CHANGE. IF YOU LIVE
NEAR A RIVER...PREPARE FOR FLOODING NOW.

Good morning.

No new snow this morning.  Which makes me happy.  The slow melt continues.  I woke up this morning to a dog yipping, rolled over looked out the window and had to grab my camera.  Cause I knew what I saw wouldn't last.  But was too gorgeous to miss.

We have church today, and kids already running through the tubs.  Being run through the tubs?  Ummm hmmm  I think its too early in the morning to think grammatically correct.

Rob often accuses me of being drunk when I talk.  NOt because I am...but because I make no sense. 

Our driveway ruts are finally dirt again.  But as you can see in the picture there's still 3 inches of snow in the middle.  There's hope that someday we may live without the white stuff.

And silly me I thought at the beginning of the winter it would be the rain I was complaining about.  

We have a mystery in our house.  Its the mystery of the cats entrance.  We declared war on our outside cats coming in.  But they disagreed with our opinion.   

We found the bathroom vent that was open that they snuck in, and closed it.  We closed off the access to the hot water heater that they'd found.  The girls have been keeping there window closed except for one inch.  And they don't sneak in when we come in--that would be the Great Dane's job and they don't like him.

So the question remains.  How are the cats getting in.    We believe they ghost through the walls!

We ended up going to town as the roads were dry and we very much needed hay and pellets (the pellets for Rob's co-worker)

After unloading the pellets (a ton of pellets requires a bit of unloading time.)  We were headed home.

"Everybody listen please."  I said first.  My cue that the volume level in the car needs to be non-existent.

'Zeria and Jamari you need to catch your ponies and hold them while dad unloads the hay so that they don't attack the hay."

"Kaylin you need to get the pizza in the oven."

Pause.

Rainee's voice.  "And me, I'll just hang around being cute."

Yeah you just do that stink.

Two minutes later.  (Still not home.)

"Rainee that was my elbow."  (from me--she'd kicked it from the back seat)

"Oh really?  I thought it was your shin."  (Impossible to reach from the back seat).

Yup she's going to be going to smart-alec anonymous very soon.

I just bit the bullet and made homemade taco shells for the first time.  They always seemed so scarey.  I'd had them once when I was in college and loved them...but just never got the courage to try.

Man was that stupid LOL  They are sooooooo easy.  And *gasp*  everybody liked them.

Bit messy, but very easy.

Three cups flour

1 t salt

2 t baking powder

1/4 cup oil

1 cup water.

Mix dry ingredients and oil together until all mixed and then add water until consistency is right for rolling.

Make small balls and roll out flat. 

Fry immediately in oil.  We fried at medium heat and it took about 1 minute on either side if that.  And it wasn't in deep oil, just enough so it wouldn't stick.

From start to finish for a family of 8 it took me about 10 minutes.  I think that included eating them.  *snicker*

And MMM they were good.  I suspect they just became a family staple. 

And another inch of snow down on the ground with more predicted for today.

I don't know what the record makers are saying about Clallam Bay...or even if they remember if it exists.  But it definitely feels like records are being broken.  We have had snow on the ground since  at least the 10th of December.  Just astounding.

I was rather contemplating a trip to town.  But staying home is just fine.    Its also cheaper. 

Yesterday was beautifully cold.  Blue sky and sunshine.  So the kids were able to get out in it.  Of course horse back riding isn't the greatest of fun.  As the horses would only stay on the paths...and rightfully snow as sinking up to 2.5 feet in snow  when the snow decides its held up enough weight is rather annoying. 

I kept trying to get a "whole" picture of Zeria and Thunder.  But Thunder had a similar opinion as Samuel gets when I'm trying to take pictures of him.

It was also really really bright out and hard to see what I got in the view finder.    But mostly Thunder just wasn't intrested in posing.

See the evil eye he's giving me.  LOL

Oh well, I tried.  And as you can tell Zeria rather likes her cape I made her.   

I have a mom who has hired me to make one for her son.  And that's without even advertising.  LOL  My kids are the advertising. 

So plans for today are to keep warm.  To putter, and to be lazy.

Originally we had the baton coach coming out tomorrow, but with all of the snow they won't...which is fine.  The kids haven't exactly practiced over the holidays much, so it gives us time to get back into the swing of things.  Now I just have to inform the kids will of course result in weeping and nashing of teeth, so I'm avoiding the subject until I'm more awake.

Oh did I mention the snow banks are up to the edges of our windows...due to the snow falling off the roofs, repeatedly.  The kids think its immensely funny to be able to walk beside the windows and see into the living room....the bottom of the window is five feet above the ground, and now its level with the snow banks.  Just amazing.

Geddy up!  Its a new year.  Stuff to do, piggy back rides to claim.  Adventures to have.  Houses to clean.  Actually mine is fairly clean.  My desk needs a quick rejunking.  But I spent a greater part of earlier in the week cleaning, so this weekend is for vedging.  Not for yard work as I have rather a lot of snow there.  But for relaxing, crocheting, and laughing with my family...or at them when they pull stunts like this.

Excuse my husbands sense of humor.  Its a bit...twisted some days.     But then so am I for taking a picture of it.  *giggles*

The visit at my moms was about as okay as it gets.  I did get to see my niece for a bit, so that was fun.  She's growing, and when I walked in and said Hi Addie.  She said hi back.  (she's 15 months old now.)

Jeremiah has definitely lost his place as the youngest grandson.  He maintained it for longer then a lot of them did LOL almost 3 years.  Now he's gonna be right in the middle of the pack.  As there's one more perculating, and I'm sure many more to come. 

I'd like to speak to the idiot who claims global warning.  Cause trust me when I say it hasn't reached Clallam Bay.

We typically get one or two one or two inch snow storms.

hahahaha.

Yeah we got another 6 inches last night.

Walking in a wintry wonderland.

Happy New Years.  *snort*