I’m feeling very unsettled today.  Hurricane Irene swept through the northeast yesterday and today, leaving a path of confusion and destruction.  The hubbub predicted winds reaching 100mph around here.  The stores are sold out of batteries, flashlights, and bottled water. Talk of evacuation (not for VT, of course) and bathtub filling was everywhere. Alan watched the radar map closely (he had to for work) and we waited. The rains came this morning, heavy at times, but minimal winds. He went into work to shut down all the computers. By late afternoon it was down to a drizzle and all seemed fine. At my house. However, I felt myself being drawn to Facebook all day, my primary source of news (pitiful, I know) and I read about and watched the destruction all around us. Roads washed out, friends being evacuated by boat from top floor apartments, bridges closed and washed away… it’s all so powerful!

This is the Quechee Covered Bridge, coming in to downtown Quechee. The bridge is no longer, and the real estate office right on the corner is destroyed. Simon Pearce, right next to the real estate office, has river running through the restaurant and show room. Their basement, including turbines and glass blowing studio, is under water. There is millions of dollars in damage right there alone, not even counting the rest of the town, county, and state! (by the way, this is not my video!)

We were also watching videos of update NY being flooded. Rivers running through towns and villages. Giant hay bales (the marshmallows) floating down main street. It’s all just so amazing and awesome and scary.

To add to my unease, poor Joyce’s flight to Guam on Saturday was canceled well before the storm really hit NYC and her and Rosy have been a stranded down there. They are now trying to make their way back to Franklin, in the dark, with most of the state closed. I worry, I can’t help it. And, this is totally trivial but I’m going to say it anyway, Alan watched a disturbing (to me) show during quiet time while I tried to read the paper. And he is in the process of putting up new ceiling lighting in the living room. I’m not sure if I like it yet, but the whole look and feel in the room is different. All afternoon the floor was littered with Transformers (Lex) and light/electrical bits and pieces (Alan). We were all a bit short with one another, the kids were wired, and I just wanted to eat. Definitely an off, unsettling day. HOWEVER, that said, here is the worst of the flooding we have experienced, so I can hardly complain.

Watch the progression as my kids get messier and messier. I have a bunch of videos that I’m uploading, but it’s slow going at the moment so they may be part of another post tomorrow.

They thought this was a HUGE puddle!

I convinced them to walk down the road and we found an even bigger puddle! :)

Splashing!

They found an earthworm in the puddle. It seemed to be only half alive.

Yep, now they're filling their boots with muddy water.

Who needs boots anyway?!

Swimming in the mud.

I got them to pause for a smile, sort of. :)

Lex filled Eve's hat with muddy water and put it on his head. Somehow it held the water and he walked around with a wiggly jiggly hat on his head.

There's my boy!

Good thing we have a MUD room! I stripped them naked and tossed them in the shower :)

I’m still trying to decide if this makes me fun mommy or totally insane? They had fun and washed up just fine, so as long as they don’t come down with some crazy sickness tomorrow I’m gonna stick with fun mommy! :)

Now the winds are picking up again, but the kids are asleep, Alan is home, the candles are out, and we have a big flashlight, so all is well. Tomorrow will bring what it will bring, including cresting rivers and more flooding. Thank goodness we live on top of a hill.

Here is a link to another video of another covered bridge in VT. It eventually collapsed (not in the video). See the propane tank floating by? Apparently that is a big problem all around. A bunch of tanks leaked around the Quechee covered bridge (above) and caused fumes throughout the town. They have also closed the Quechee Gorge bridge (on Rt 4, over the gorge) because of the buildup of propane tanks under the bridge. They are worried they will exploded and bring down the bridge. They’re not even letting emergency vehicles pass! Just insane! I need to get off this computer and go to bed, but the incoming videos and photos are just amazing!