Different day today from the flurry of activity on Sunday. The looki-lous and endless volunteers had subsided. Two neighbors with vac trucks to have their places sucked out made a lot of noise but it was eerie quiet when I first arrived. Got power restored, fridge working. Dropped the Jetta off for an assessment (Eric drove it thru a couple feet of water... bits of flotsam still stuck in the front trim/grill/lights ) It ran ok but I still think it should be checked out. Went to Okotoks for groceries and parts and lined up at the Okotoks post office for my mail. Free wifi!! (stay positive). Plumber capped my water and gas lines to the mechanicals so they are
clear but my 1974 furnace remains. At 400 odd pounds I might just leave
that for the restoration company for when they come to do the biowash.
Got the last of the drywall out from the stairwell and tore out the carpet on the steps. Wasn't quite cleaned up from that and Phil came and helped me sort out some minimal lights and plugs in the basement so I can stop tripping over extension cords in the dark. Dehumidifiers now humming along and able to lock up everything which makes me feel a bit better. Yard is still a mess and morning rain didn't help much with that.
Tomorrow hit the office for a bit and finish the day back at 105. (its confusing when we say "home" now.) The list is still long but gradually less urgent.
Driving out Tongue Creek road tonite I passed an old gravel pit site that is being turned into temporary housing for displaced High Riverites. A mass of portable trailers, like a big work site. Reminded of how lucky I am in the grand scheme of things.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Day six - flood rehab
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Day five - flood rehab
Another hell-uv-a-day. Shannon was hopping inside the house with helpers (including a design client and her friend) washing and cleansing things. Countless very helpful Mormons - holy crap - Sometimes I was turning down help for lack of a suitable job. Mike yarded out some hardwood and we opened up some more walls on the lower main floor chasing wet drywall. I promised Mark I wouldn't call on him today but I had too and he came. I should be up to a case of scotch for that man but I know he won't take it. I think we got that sorted as mitigating mould issues is job one. Myron and Janet returned to lend a hand after their morning shift - your humour under the circumstances always welcome. Once again my first helper of the day was yet another hiking partner, Wietse, to lend a very welcome hand. This whole thing is a lot like landscaping, sometimes you have too much manpower and sometimes you have too much work but a core of people I know and love sure makes things happen - extra help plus water and sandwiches at every turn a bonus!
Later in the day I opened a section of fence and my neighbor, also a landscaper/excavator, swung in with his mini-hoe and scraped out the turf area plus the silt all the help was yarding out of the beds by hand. Seems trivial, with all that has been going on, to care about my garden but it is great to get that sorted. Of course it made a major mess and I might need to resod. We'll see how it turns out. Getting rid of the silt was a big deal, I don't even care at the moment that my deck still has a pitch to it thanks to the heaved piles, just pretend you're on a ship. So many projects.
Doing better mentally though. Got my electrical signed off on by an electrician so Fortis can 'energize' me tomorrow. No more generator! So I'll be hanging out waiting for them to arrive and running down the more important items on the todo list. Shoring up a header in the basement (because the framing was removed), pulling some grade outside, tidying up.... fun times.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Day four - flood rehab
Turned a corner today. After two nights of little or no sleep I was flagging a little today. Darren was my first helper to arrive and he buoyed me up. Then four random helpers from Calgary, plus Myron, Janet and crew from Glen Eagles, Renaud and his wife, plus my boys - but without a dumpster to move the garbage mountain I was getting tense so we hit some of the silt build up in the garden. Finally we got a dumpster going with even more help and during a lull when the trucks were gone to the dump it bucketed rain. At first I was pissed but then took advantage of the flow to move the sludge pond from the base of the driveway. Mike kept telling me I would plug the drain but I've worked with this crap for days now - you just need to add water!!!
At the end of the day all the garbage dumpstered and my head straight again plotting moving forward and actually able to laugh again and give a little support to my frazzled neighbor. Starting a tick list for the long road ahead.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Day 3 flood rehab
Today started early as by 4am my brain was spinning on how to proceed and make the best use of the volunteer help I am so blessed to have. The early start meant I could mourn my toasted tools in private - excavating them one by one from the foot of mud / ooze mud that filled my garage. By the time help arrived I had separated most of the salvageable stuff that my Dad was kind enough to haul home and attempt rehab. Electrical stuff mostly just went to the trash pile (trash mountain). By days end the garage had been freed from mud, washed down, and the interior OSB wall board removed along with half the insulation. Mold was already forming. Got a bunch of tools pressure washed and Mark and Rob got some more work done on the main floor opening up the walls that got wet. Phil sorted most of the electrics but a meeting with our rehab company (thru the insurance company) will now take that on. Its going to be a slow process. Ended the day with Eric and Bart helping me fill a big 25 yard roll off bin. Hardly seemed to put a dent in the pile.
Tomorrow we hopefully can throw some energy behind removing the silt that is built up all over the whole yard. In places the grass is trying to go thru... it is going to be a rough job. At some point in the future I'll probably have to resod and replace a bunch of plants. There is also lots of 'tidying up' to do and filling more dumpsters.
During the flood the garage door was pushed in and then raised about 18". The mud would have got in anyway but an unfortunate side effect was the snow tires that were stacked just inside the door each lost one tire (Jetta and Envoy). Gone. What a piss off.
Running off adrenaline still. Hopefully I can pull off a couple more days at this pace. Second day that I just wore my glasses into the shower (that filthy). Again, can't say thank you enough to all the helpers who have given up vacation time and work to pitch in.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Day two rehab - mud, muck & dust.
Mud, muck, dust. Long day but the basement is almost all skidded. A few studs and panels remain for tomorrow plus a bit more mucking and we can start to dry it out. Hopefully get power restored. Next the garage and after that all the silt - meanwhile cleaning and drying inside to keep on top of the mold.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Day one rehab
Big day. Did the re-entry circus, took photos and met with our insurance adjuster, had to get the power shut off, then got busy in the basement mostly removing items. Sorting, recording what we were discarding, triaging what we were to keep. Had some solid help and got a lot accomplished.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
One day to re-entry
Downloaded the photos and video off my phone to establish timeline so figured I'd throw some of them on Zenfolio. Eric and I left the house by boat 3:01pm, the river supposedly crested at around 7pm. Did the basement hold out? It was leaking in the windows, around the patio door on the lower main and in thru a heat register to the basement. Remains to be seen as well as did the main floor survive (kitchen level)? Hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll have the answer to those questions and more.
photos/video
Monday, July 1, 2013
CA - NA - DA
Looking like Wednesday for re-entry which will be a day of paperwork and triage. Following that I'll have a better idea of our status and will form a battle plan for 105 Hell River.
Meanwhile, its Canada Day. Spending the next two days in the office to cover off this week at minimum. Fridge full of food and the radio - its all good.
More or less unplugged yesterday and spent most of it with Shannon (and Eric for a bit) as we got our handout in Nanton and arranged for a place to live for the foreseeable future. Some people are just way too generous, but there are some chores there we can do to earn our keep. Moving down there Tuesday after work. Country life for a bit.
The waiting is almost over. I wish I could say the same for all Highriverites. Enjoy the national holiday - its going to be a beaut!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Re-entry plan rolled out
Early days but the re-entry plan has been rolled out ( the press conference was full of posturing and political rhetoric) and at the moment we are phase 3 of 9. No specific timeline but I'm hopeful I'll be mucking in less than a week. Finally some *&#)*(#ing news!
Current re-entry plan
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday
Aside from losing my temper with a few people (The usual stuff that pushes my buttons, I was just not very diplomatic is all), just another day.
Supposed to be an update on re-entry plan tomorrow at around 12:30pm. Hopefully good news. Or any solid news would be better than the current situation.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
What is a cubit anyway?
Insert your own ark joke here.
Another day of work and waiting. Picked up some groceries on a break so Eric can join me for dinner. Sobey's chickens - what would I do without them!
addendum:
Blokland's (mayor) address indicating days, not weeks, with least affected in first. Don't think that will be me but you never know. I like timelines better than 'sit tight'.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
2013-06-25 update
Just working and listening to updates on the radio. What little I have learned from a fellow working at the hospital is quite grim. I continue to count my blessings, I have an amazing support group & getting back into the routine at work has helped a bit to keep me occupied. Not much else to say. The wait continues.
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