Hadn’t planned to take pictures but “force of habit.”

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Saturated soil, all this moisture; very humid.

Lots of them!!

Rather than marathon viewing of aftermath of Hurricane Harvey; I’m watching/listening to endless Sunday sermons.

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“The worst of times brings out the best in people.”

Fund raiser by J.J. Watt.

President Trump said it and I believe it!!

For a week I watched local TV broadcasting; I heard every word of news conferences with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and many others. Now I/we (again) have national broadcast news and I’m alarmed by what I’m hearing. Texas officials were cautious with details; national reporters make firm statements!! The “background” film shows local flooding, or fire at Arkema Chemical, but the message is distorted. ~~ If “the media” alters the news about a National disaster, it’s conceivable they are “spinning” details about our President.

“Yours truly” is talked out!! Furthermore, I label myself a “basket case”  (depressed). Less time spent in front of the TV set BUT I have a heavy heart. Gratitude for my many blessings!! 

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Sept. 2, 11:00 AM: Concern from a friend; she encouraged me to read this blog message, and pray this prayer.

Father, forgive me for feeding my ears a diet of negative news. I can see the truth of how it affects me. I want to listen to You, Holy Spirit. I want Your words alone to sway me. I want to fill my mind and my heart with Your words. I will open Your Word and read it daily. I will read it out loud, so my ears hear it and my spirit is fed and my soul is comforted. Let me fast negative news today and see what a difference it makes in my life. Teach me to pray Your life-giving ways into the news that I hear reported in the future, so that I spiritually act, instead of fleshly react. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

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In my “yarden,” debris, leaves, fallen limbs, etc., but nothing like the mountain of household furnishings, flooring, dry-wall, etc., piling up at the curb of homes in the Houston area–and beyond. ~~ Grateful for my blessings; sad for less-fortunate home owners, and renters.

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is in the history books; the statistics are mind-boggling!!

TV news says 100,000 damaged or destroyed homes in the Houston area. Remember the Kingwood H.E.B. market I mentioned in an earlier message? It was destroyed in the flooding; TV cameras portrayed the disastrous aftermath. The death toll is climbing. Many subdivisions are still flooded. Devastation in Beaumont, Texas, and southwest Louisiana. Now Harvey is dumping heavy rain as far East as “the Carolinas.” ~~ Sunshine and clouds here; the ground is saturated but no standing water. I picked up fallen limbs but will postpone other yard work. ~~ Truth be told (a new favorite comment), I sat in the CARE Center garden for several hours praying for our residents, our volunteers, and Staff. (If I’d stayed at home, I would have been distracted by “projects.”) ~~ It’s one-thirty as I publish this and too hot and humid to work in the yard this afternoon. ~~ I’m grateful because I’m “safe and sound” but several residents have leaks, saturated carpet, etc.

Pictures taken through the glass, from my kitchen window. After six days, sunshine is welcome sight..

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Houston TV reporters still “in the field” showing pictures of flooded areas. Small boats are still going into subdivisions to evacuate individuals.  

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Meteorologist update at 10:18 “Trinity (river)  is flooded; Goodrich (small town) is coming down.” Reference (see page eight of): Trinity River Basin Master Plan–The Trinity River Authority of Texas.

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“Operation Blessing“ was positioned in Texas before Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast at Rockport. Reportedly, they are the only aid providing assistance in that devastated community.

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Rockport, Texas, Hummingbird Festival cancelled.

Here’s more information about the decades-long Festival. ~~ A Ruby-throated Hummingbird on one of my feeders.

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Please read this interesting article regarding Vice President Mike Pence visit to Texas.

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Can’t sleep; wide awake for a couple of hours. I’m impressed/concerned by the “silence.” No night sounds whatsoever; no traffic on the highway. That is unusual. I turned on the TV and (at this hour) regular NBC programming (and nothing I wanted to watch). ~~~~ Wait…, listen: It started raining at 4:10.

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My little rain gauge has documented approximately fifteen inches of rain since Saturday, August 26, one PM. An unscientific weather report.  🙂

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Postscript 9:00 AM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Telephoto pictures from entry steps because I didn’t want to go out in the rain. That was (is) my second Garden Tower. Several residents wanted to set it up in the CARE garden–and grow some fresh veggies. Our Facility Director vetoed the project. LORRAINE is guilty (repeat: LORRAINE is guilty) of not moving the original cardboard box full of “rings” to a dry (drier?) location.

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Postscript 9:50 AM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FYI: If you are watching Harvey aftermath television coverage, you see sunshine and no rain. However, I’ve had steady rain since 4:10 and no hint of sunshine. Wind, too, but not strong enough to worry. No confirmation but I speculate we are on the “backside” of Harvey moving into Louisiana. ~~ OK, OK, confirmation at 9:40: Senator Ted Cruz talking about Beaumont being hit by the tropical storm. At 9:44, Houston TV meteorologist said “Beaumont is taking a beating.”

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Postscript 10:50 AM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How many residents at CARE and/or Rainbow’s End RV Park considered that Lake Livingston might “flood” the surrounding areas?? Honestly, it never occurred to me!! I’m just deep in thought, and steeped in TV disaster news. NO news of flooding in our area; only one brief statement by TV meteorologist regarding “Trinity River is flooding at Goodrich.” ~~ Correction (10:45): Now the meteorologist’ (plural) are talking about Lake Livingston (a man-made lake) and Trinity River flowing south to Houston.

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Postscript 3:00 PM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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All this water!! All this media coverage. However, an email message arrived from a follower and his subject line “Water? What Water?” Portions of the message follow:

There are nine fires visible from Bend. Actually, if it weren’t so smoky nine fires visible. Not a cloud in the sky for ten days, but you wouldn’t know it because we haven’t seen the sky in ten days. Well into our fourth straight week of 95+ degree heat with the only relief in sight the inevitability of winter, and no precipitation since early May. Three fires on Newberry yesterday afternoon started from the exhaust of an idling vehicle in dry grasses, two more spotted off of that, one at that timeshare RV park at Vandervert Rd, and a fire south of LaPine has closed the highway. A cigarette butt…  fire…  yesterday morning blew up so fast it closed all three of the Santiam passes by mid-afternoon. Big one going up in the Alpine wilderness and there’s another just north of that in the Jefferson wilderness, both of which are threatening the pass to Portland. The town of Sisters has been evacuated. Everything about this place has an other-worldly feel to it.

(Lorraine) The following sentence is alarming: “It could burn from Mt Shasta to Southern Alaska.” (Lorraine) Mount Shasta is Northern California so the implication is three states (California, Oregon, and Washington) and British Columbia, Canada, are burning.

(Lorraine) His closing sentence: “The sooner summer is over the better.” He read my clip art.

Lorraine here with a question: Have I been Rip Van Winkle? Have I been asleep for twenty years? I haven’t seen TV coverage about those severe fires in Oregon. Why, oh why, too much water here and too little there?