Cleaning Up
Revels is a big part of our family's life. Both girls have performed in the summer Revels and this year Helen got into the Winter Revels. It will be an incredible performance with an Elizabethan theme. Here's Queen Elizabeth's costume from a previous year's performance.
Queen Elizabeth's costume, along with about 3,000 other costumes are now encased in mud. This heavy, heavy costume fell in the flood and only little bits of sparkly jewels showed up through the muddy floor. Here is a video as the costumes were found.
I have never dealt with flood mud before and I can tell you it is like scraping wet clay, filled with sewage, chemicals, and who knows what. We washed the tubs 4 times and they still aren't clean. I think I am going to just go to Ikea and buy them new. Our lawn is now covered in a fine, white clay-like ick.
After we finished, we read in the paper dire warnings about working with flooded materials. We were wearing gloves, but still....Another area needing major clean-up is the main shopping district for the region. Here it is flooded~
Here is a parking lot after the water receded. The Walmart employees have to wear masks as they move carts. We drive into town to get a few supplies and turned right around. The paper says to not open your car windows as the dust has who knows what in it.
This may seem trivial in light of it all, but Liz needs sneakers for school. There is no store with reasonably priced sneakers within about an hour and half (that I know of, anyway). Kohl's, JCPenney, TJMaxx, Payless, Pier 1, and just about EVERY store (but Walmart) is now closed for months.There is NO complaining on my family's part. I have a bit of survivor guilt. It is a strange feeling to know that the only thing I have to deal with is driving further to buy shoes. Many families are still trapped in the hills and many no longer have homes or jobs. Nelson and I both feel the need to spend Labor Day doing some volunteering.
Sarah, it really is so much worse than I could have imagined. All of that mud--gosh, how will they clean it up?
This is what I read in the newspaper this morning accompanying a photo much like the ones you've shared with us: "Bicycles and cars were limited to a single lane yesterday on Vermont's Route 107, which was washed out along the White River in Bethel. Flooding associated with Tropical Storm Irene closed more than 300 local roads and state routes in Vermont and damaged at least 22 bridges, marooning people for days in at least 13 towns." It's just awful, really, especially when winter often begins in October in the north.
Sarah, it really is so much worse than I could have imagined. All of that mud--gosh, how will they clean it up?
This is what I read in the newspaper this morning accompanying a photo much like the ones you've shared with us: "Bicycles and cars were limited to a single lane yesterday on Vermont's Route 107, which was washed out along the White River in Bethel. Flooding associated with Tropical Storm Irene closed more than 300 local roads and state routes in Vermont and damaged at least 22 bridges, marooning people for days in at least 13 towns." It's just awful, really, especially when winter often begins in October in the north.
Think of the movie 2012, and, while it is small comfort to you at this time, know we'll "get ours" one of these days... soon?
Elena, Southern CA!
I can remember going with my parents to help clean up some elderly woman's home in Elmira NY after Hurricane Agnes in 1972 - your pictures/ words are so familiar. The Road situation is concerning, especially with Winter. So sad for all the costumes, so much work into them . So many things we do not think of, but we are glad for not much loss of life.