It’s that time again! Time to gather around the table and share some juicy tidbits of fiction with the folks of Friday Fictioneers, hosted by the lovely and talented Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. You can find other small tales of wonder, and danger at: rochellewisoff.com. Come on out and join us! This week’s photo is loaned to us by : Alica Jamtaas.
wc 100, title included…
A lifetime to show…
There wasn’t much left of our decade spent in the commonwealth. Just a few drawers of clothing, a rusty bicycle, and a few boxes of salvaged keepsakes. The storm that came through in the night took care of everything else. We clamored to the safety of the ridge while looking back to see all that we owned fighting for existence within the surging waters. A flood, small in the grand scheme, was biblical to our small community. Now, we spend our days combing the banks fifty miles downstream in hopes of finding even one precious memory.
Chaos Central Command 
It must be heartbreaking to go through something like this.
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I’ve been there in the past. Helping as I can in the present. Watching people with an indomitable spirit survive.
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Such desolation!
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A shame. One hopes they can see it as a chance for a fresh start, eventually.
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I know the year that my studio/shed decided to launch itself down the Ohio in a flood… It was hard, and meant some serious changes. Also a chance to reflect on what’s really important… and it isn’t material things.
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Living in hope no matter how vain it might be.
Here’s mine!
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Hard to be vain when your home is gone… I was thinking of all those who’ve lost everything in recent floods and/or hurricanes. Devastating.
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Nicely done! I definitely felt the sadness of that image! (Did you mean “combing” the beach though? I read “coming” at first and had to re-read!)
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Ach, gotta hate autocorrect. Fixed. It is difficult to see your “everything” floating down the river. A few years ago, I had bought a small unibuilt shed and placed it on a small piece of land down by the river… well above the 100yr flood stage lines. Still, that year we had those 100yr flooding scenarios. My unibuilt launched itself down the river never to be seen again… along with it a good portion of my memorabilia from childhood… it was so very hard, but after the grief… Gave me a chance to start over in more ways than I could have imagined would happen otherwise.
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Oh no! That’s awful! Glad you could see a bright side!
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The attachment to stuff is real. I do question if it’s freeing not to have it. Very little stuff matters.
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It is freeing, in it’s own way, Tannile. We humans tend to place to much value on useless paraphernalia.
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Many people have to turn to a new chapter in their lives, often because the last chapter could not be finished.
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Thanks. Thank goodness that the book of our lives have many chapters. 🙂
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Happens often. Mother Nature is wonderful, until she is not. Well done, Bear.
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Thanks, Bill… I look out this morning and once again it’s raining… Last month we were close to 10-11 inches of rain above norm for the month.
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What will take to get you to send us half your rain?
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I’d send it free if I could. It’s stormy this morning… got my swim fins handy. LOL!
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95 degrees here today, sun, 0% chance of rain. ((groan)).
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didn’t want to “like” that. We’ve had our share of 100F+ days this year, too. Hopefully, it’s cooling down this week. It was 48F when I left home this morning.
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October begins Saturday. 🙂 Hope the rain stops.
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Dry day today… think Ian scooped up all the rain and left this odd blue glow in the sky tainted by a yellow thing that I’m not quite sure if it’s real, a hallucination, or maybe an alien invasion…
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Makes me think of the Johnstown Flood many years ago in Pennsylvania. Perfectly described, Bear.
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I was caught in a flood in Pennsie back in the 90’s. I went for a Women’s Camp Retreat, set my tent up on a little hill… woke up on an island… rescue by our beloved National Guard, who actually managed to drop and fold my tent back into it’s original bag (a huge feat!). Will never forget that adventure. 🙂 ❤
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I felt sad for your character. I know it’s not completely fiction. It would be awful to watch everything float away as you struggle to survive the powerful waters of a flood. Stay safe!
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At least I was on dry ground while watching.
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I hesitated on “liking” your story because it is such an up close and personal tragedy for any family caught in a flood. Hoping they can put their lives back together one piece at a time.
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Yes, it is so. My loss pales in comparison to the losses I’ve seen others survive. And now, Florida will be experiencing it.
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Dear Bear,
What a horrible thing to have to go through. Tragically well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I saw far too many lose much more than I did that year, and most recently in Sthrn Kentucky. Now, I’m watching as Ian strikes against Florida. Looking for the rainbow promise.
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We get used to flooding here in SE Qld. Our floods don’t wash away houses or belongings, but we got up to 6mtres a few months ago. The river spills over and everyone goes to have a look and take a photo. Your story is very relatable.
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I’m guilty of doing the same… just hours before watching my little shed float away, I was on the bank taking pictures of things floating by…. never dreaming….
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Yes I was out there too, taking a photo. It’s all still new for me, we’ve only lived here 7 years, so floods are are new to us and still a curiosity.
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I remember when we lived in Columbus, Ohio and everyone was making a big deal about the Scioto river freezing over. I didn’t get it. After all, the only rivers/creeks I’d seen always froze over in the winter. It was such a surprise to me to find out that they didn’t. I was out there as soon as it thawed to see it for myself. About like seeing flooding when you’re not used to it.
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Bear, I have something to send you but don’t have an address. I know you closed your old one. Can you email me at lishdonn@hotmail.com?
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Sure will, Lish. I’m getting mail at my house.
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