In which the good lord was willing and the creek did rise (but we are fine)

"Lord willing and the creek don't rise" is a phrase

I grew up with.  It means, "Yah sure, okay, probably,

unless circumstances change a lot."

Everett Herald photo

In this part of the world, though, it's also a literal thing.  Around here, it's entirely possible that the creek (or the river) will rise and prevent you from doing whatever you had planned.

Like today, for example.

Monica scampered away early to help out at the Eagle Festival in town.  

Our annual winter arts fair.

Jim and I did stuff around the farm.  

"How about putting the weathervane up today?" I said.  

Jim's dad gave us the weathervane before we even bought the farm.  It's beautiful...and it's been stashed away in the shop for more than 10 years.

"I need some lag bolts to anchor it," he said.  So we'll need to go to the hardware store..."

A river runs through it...and over the top of the road.

The water was predicted to crest at 17' today.  It actually crested early at 19.5 feet, and stayed in the "pink" (major flood stage) zone for several hours.  

a difference of 24" makes a BIG difference

That meant the road to town was closed, among other things.

Hmmm.

I really wanted to get that weathervane up.

Even though the flood water will recede tonight, tomorrow's forecast calls for sn*w and there's no way anybody was gonna go up on the roof in the sn*w.

Have I mentioned recently how much I don't enjoy winter weather?

Hmmmm.

Well.  What if we went upstream instead of downstream?

We don't usually go to Darrington.  It isn't on the way to anything unless you want to buy cheap meth or moonshine*

*true thing:  one of Jim's ancestors was a locally-famous moonshiner
in Darrington back in Prohibition days.

I looked at the flood report: road to Arlington still closed. 
I looked at the clock:  Darrington Hardware Store open for another 3 hours.

C'mon, I said, let's take a field trip.

So we did.  Lag bolts (and some vegetables for soup tonight) achieved!

Heading back towards the farm

the river : still formidable, but...

out came the sun

and dried up all some of the rain

and then

up on the rooftop--SANTA!

Ta-dahhhhhh

Weathervane horse = Standardbred