N is for Nooksack

Check the box, "flood", for signs of the end of days.

Saturday we were gathered at the Blacks for Hunter's birthday party. It was storming, raining outside.

I said to Jessica "man this fall has been extra rainy, right?" 

and she said "yes there are mud slide threats on a lot of roads, the rivers are full, everything is saturated."

The rain continued all night and all day Sunday. There were weather alerts popping up about swollen rivers and the possibilities of flooding for people near the river. 

Monday the rain kept on, and we went to school. I was subbing for Andrew's class that day. Lots of kids were absent and we were the only school in the district who didn't close the school. Everyone else in the valley were already under water or close to it.

On our way to PE, my class was turned around in the hallway - go back to class, we are sending kids home.

The announcement was made: conditions continue to get worse, with no let up in sight, so we need to send everyone home right away. 

The process of sending kids home in the middle of the day, in the middle of downpour, in the middle of water filling roadways was hairy, but we did it. 

Our area didn't have houses flood, but roadways were washed out and there were lots of detours to avoid water on roadways. This is BBL, the main road the leads Birch Bay to the I-5. 

The next day school was cancelled. We played games and were thankful that no damage was done to our home. 

Sumas and Everson and Ferndale are still trying to recover.

Sunday we dismissed early to go help muck houses. 

So, yeah. Just let me know when I can expect the Second Coming of Jesus. I'm sure it's sooner than later.

I swear to you, it has all been ushered in by COVID. 

Ps covid is so confusing. 

Let me give you a sampling of two people, both whom I love. Both I seek out in a crowd because I want to check in and say hi. Neither of whom I hang out with on the  regular, but both of whom I enjoy their company.

Person A: Her name is Emily. 

She is vaccinated. She was vaccinated the second it was available to her. Even so, she often wears a double mask. She did not attend the ward party. Too much of a risk. 

This weekend I asked if she wanted to ride together to the meeting with Eldar Bednar in Arlington. She said she could not because she had her booster appointment and it is very important to her that she receive her booster as soon as she can. 

Ok. 

Person B: her name is Sheri Vekved. 

We rarely cross paths, but when we do it's sitting on the bleachers watching our boys play ball. 

She is hilarious and bold and witty. She has a pack of wild animals for children and I admire her mothering style.

She is not vaccinated. Since covid started, she has home schooled her kids because she refuses to play the mask game. No kid should have to wear a mask all day.  There are less and less places she's allowed to go anymore without a dumb vax card, she guesses the only option left is to move to another state. 

When the basketball game ends, Evan joins us chatting in the bleachers. She puts her hand over her mouth and whispers "you're not getting him vaccinated are you?" 

I said yes. I am so that he doesn't have to quarantine if he's exposed. 

She literally put her hand to her heart and clutched in fear.

Fear. Fear. Fear. 

Fear from both ends of the perspective. It will control us, no matter what we believe, how we see this thing panning out - it has control over this tiny sampling of my two friends. 

I just don't even have any more to say about it 

because

I DON'T KNOW.