Fred, the most famous
resident of Meadows Place, is alive & well during Harvey. Photo by MP resident Lee Rex.
To paraphrase my
friend Betsy Davis: Harvey is like a bad boyfriend, the bastard
just won't go away,
(Bastard is me talking, not
Betsy. Please don’t tell Jean.)
We
woke up to rain & flooded streets here in Meadows Place. But relatively unscathed, with power. The AT&T DirectTV cable goes out
intermittently (I am convinced the
satellite houses a poltergeist with multiple personalities), but I held on
to our beleaguered rabbit ears so that we can keep abreast of current conditions.
The
city of Meadows Place recommended taking shelter in place (as if we had a
choice – the entrances & exits to our fair haven are impassable). Many city streets are flooded, some homes
without power. The city will answer only
life-threatening emergency calls.
After
a bit, the rain stopped & the water stopped rising in the street. All part of Harvey’s deceptive strategy –
seducing us into a false sense of relief & security.
Only
to begin a few hours later, to replenish the now slowly receding water levels.
Most
of our afternoon has been rainless. The
water in front of our house flowed down into the storm sewers.
And
now, fifteen minutes after three, it has begun again. The satellite has, of course, lost its
signal. It is not a drizzle, but a firm I’m
back & I am not done with you yet from our unwelcome visitor,
the reappearing bastard boyfriend.
As
I watch the news, I am humbled by how incredibly lucky we are here in the house
that Jack & Jean built. People are
still hunkered down across Houston & its surrounding areas. Families are waiting in their attics & on
their roofs to be rescued. Families
frantically trying to save a lifetime of possessions, families walking away
from it all through the rising waters.
And
my biggest concern this afternoon was revising my future hurricane preparedness
list: sweet pickle relish, oranges to
make juice, bags of mulch to substitute for sandbags. A bag of onions. More bananas.
Extra hand sanitizer. Bleach. Jelly Belly size jelly beans.
As
the day comes to a close, the rain & the threat of flooding continues. As do the rescue efforts.
I went out earlier to see if the accumulated
street water was draining & watched as a neighbor across the street went to
check on our 83-year old neighbor Mr. Bob, who lives alone & is in frail
health. Mr. Bob has family nearby, but
it may be impossible for them to get into our little hamlet or out of their own
hood to check on him.
The
headline in the New York Times online this evening reads:
With
all due respect to & for the NYT, I don’t think the city, its environs or
its residents have been plunged into utter chaos.
I
see that sense of togetherness & generosity in the local coverage. I see it in our Meadows Place Facebook
group.
I
see it gazing across the street from the house that Jack & Jean built.
Meanwhile, meeting Fred is on my bucket list.
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