Updates

Young Zachary from the county came to look at the flood damage on our property following the monsoon. We hiked up the back where I showed him how the run off from the "t"-streets and other properties made the way to our patch. I showed him the problems with the pipes and the swales. Then I took him along to see where the waterfalls had sprouted at the retaining wall . After that we went to viewing the mess left behind where the new river rushed by then onto where the new lakes were formed in the front yard and the jeopardy of our majestic magnolia.

Once the tour was completed Young Zachary was sweat shiny and puffing every breath.
Then he said, Mz. Fishy, this is a right nice size patch so for there to be all these water marks a week later, and these debris fields, well I am getting the notion a lot of water came calling".

Indeed.

After our chat he put on his orange reflective vest and the flashing yellow lights on the truck and drove around to the back. Guess he wasn't interested in another tour....or hike. He drove up and down back there for a spell then came on down the back drive to report.

"Mz. Fishy, they's several problems on properties up on those T-streets so while some sorry engineering and blocked drainage systems is part of the problem of sending the runoff to your patch, the other issue is they's some folks up yonder who looks like they did some home projects without permits causing some more problems for you"

"How do you know they didn't have permits"?, I asked.

"Well, cause they got a detached 2 car up there with no guttering and an extry wide driveway with no culvert and no diverter. We don't allow that span of asphalt without a permit and we don't give permits without run off planning so that's how I know."

I knew exactly the property he was speaking of .... y'all do too. Yep, that's the one, the family having that really terrible year. The contractor is scheduled to start next week on the process of improving that sad and dismal house.

" Zachary", I asked " What exactly happens about that"?

He allowed as how he would have to get the engineer out and they would have to put in a requisition for the corrective work to be done, etc., etc. Once the engineer has approved and requisitioned the work, then it was just waiting on our order of go.

"Zachary, what happens with those folks up the hill with the no permit 2 car and asphalt"?

" Well now, once the engineer gets a look at that right mess he will be putting in a report for notification. That lets those folks know they have so many days to correct the issue, after which the county will start fining them. Heck, they might fine them anyway cause if they didn't get permits they haven't been taxed on their property changes either".

I hung my head and said a prayer for guidance.
I certainly want that darling woman to have some peace and joy in her home. I do NOT want her improvements cancelled because of the engineers notifications. I certainly do NOT want to watch everything I have labored on and loved at the Pond to perish from the floods.

I heaved in a big breath and asked, "Zachary, bout how long does it take for all that notifying and such to happen"?
He stepped around a bit, took his ball cap off, put it back on again then looked up and said,
" Mz. Fishy. I am sure the engineer will get the ball rolling on this problem with the requisitions and all but it might be a couple a months before they do all the researching they have to do before notifying those folks up yander way. I don't mean to diappoint you, but it could be the end of the summer for they get to that part. I 'spect we can get to the county owned parts a lot quicker.

I gave Young Zachary a pat on the arm and told him well if the County got their part rolling along then certainly waiting on t'other wouldn't be an issue. For me.

CUSTOM YACHTS!

Monsooning

I am in my upstairs studio watching my property flood.

From this vantage point I can see three separate " waterfalls"
making a path through the retaining wall on the far side of the tennis court.
"pond" is transforming to "lake" rapidly.

Our property is a much higher elevation in the back, than at the front. There is a road up there, some swales at the low side of the street and, some pipes under the driveways for flow. There is no "flow" but the run off from properties on the high side of the street behind, plus the run off from 2 "T" streets is flowing all over us.

We have a new river along the left side of the house and, a new half acre pond where part of the front yard was. This new "pond" is about to encircle the giant Magnolia in the front yard. It is reportedly the largest Magnolia in the county and I am fearful it could fall. It is big enough it could fall and cleave our house something serious. Blowfish and I have been out thinking about using our unspread bags of mulch as sand bags to divert the flow away from our foundations. Blowfish has vetoed this option because he thinks the flow is so rapid it will move the mulch bags.

Blowfish got a big golf size umbrella and some boots and went out front to investigate things. He came back reporting a neighbors entire front yard is now a lake.

I am trying not to be too negative. This seems to be the year we are emerging from a 4 year drought. Every soul in this region who believes in prayer has been entreating for rain for years. We cannot now complain if the prayers are being so generously answered.

We live in the land of red clay, not anything you would rightly call "soil". It has been baked into a
ginormous brick these past drought years so not much absorption is happening.
Lots and lots of running water is happening. Lots of it. Rapidly.

What I have a grievance with is the county. Back a few years before the drought we had a run off issue so we went down to the county offices to put in a request for the relevant staff and equipment to come clean out the swales and the pipes to prevent any more property damage at the Pond. They couldn't come when it was raining they said. During the drought years we couldn't provide any photographs to prove our needs. So we were not successful in getting this issue addressed. Can't come when it's wet, won't come when it is dry. Frustrating. Very, very frustrating.

I guess it will be interesting to get up tomorrow and see if the retaining wall is still there.
It's looking doubtful at the moment.

Any of you bloggers have any advice for us on how to get the attention of the county?
Anybody know the legal particulars?

One of our neighbors has said the county will not fix the problem up here on our hill until they put in new sewers at the bottom of the hill to prevent flooding on a main road down there. Our neighbors say the county told them when the swales and pipes are cleared out up here, it causes a problem at the bottom of the hill and washes over the four lane down there. It is one of the main roads to the hospital so they "decided" to let our area do the suffering for the good of the
many.

I am not so fond of this idea.

Maybe I should write the Obamanation and mention I have a shovel ready project .
Might be the only benefit I will receive from the massively foolish debt rammed down my gullet.

Scenes from Blowfish's Youth!