Bucket List

Most people these days have a 'Bucket List'. But not many folks have a 'List' that consists of 'Natural Disasters'. 

It seems that one of my 'Lists' is just that! I've experienced: Blizzards, Dust Storm, Hurricane, Tornado (twice), Forest Fires, Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruption, Flooding (from Tropical Storm), and Drought (several times). I didn't choose to have such a 'List' but it appears that I am destined to have one - a 'Bucket List' of Natural Disasters. The latest additions to the 'List' are Mudslides and Flash Floods.

Two weeks ago we headed to Colorado Springs to get Hubby settled in at his new 'home' - an rv campground located in the foothills of Pikes Peak. Hubby had taken a new job in Colorado Springs and the rv was going to be his home for a bit. 

Sometimes things happen for a reason. We didn't know the reason a wire had come loose from the engine causing the rv to break down as we were leaving Denver. We thought it was just a bit of aggravation. It was a quick repair but the delay saved us from a lot of headaches down the road. Headaches we wouldn't know about for another two hours. 

A heavy rain shower took place in the foothills of Pikes Peak just as we were approaching Colorado Springs. This thunderstorm delivered a lot of rain in a very short amount of time over the burn scar from the Waldo Canyon fire which runs along Highway 24 out of Colo. Springs. Highway 24 runs along the bottom of the canyon which was formed by Fountain Creek. The Waldo Canyon fire took place in 2012 and devastated over 18, 245 acres.

Waldo Canyon Fire map

Because of the fire, there is no vegetation to hold the soil in a heavy rain. And the cloudburst which occurred while we were driving on the Interstate, caused a massive amount of mud and rocks to come down the hillsides and cover not only the road and strand many motorists but also caused damage to numerous homes and turned Fountain Creek into a black, muddy mess of churning flood waters. 

I had received an alert (Thanks to Nixle!) about the road closure. We managed to pull off the road (traffic was awful!) at a trailhead and park the rv. We decided to head into Manitou Springs for supper while we waited for the road to be cleared. We stopped at a Mexican place Hubby had heard good things about. But the restaurant was located on Fountain Creek and two large firetrucks were parked in their parking lot. As we approached the building, we overheard a fireman tell the manager that they needed to sandbag their deck by the creek in preparation for the next storm which was looming over the foothills. We decided to eat somewhere else. 

About an hour and a half later the road was re-opened. The trip up the canyon was interesting - the road was slick with mud residue and there were huge piles of mud and rock along the sides of the road. But at least we hadn't been caught in any of it. The Universe was looking out for us.

A week later (just a week ago), another heavy rain occurred in the same area. This time video footage was taken of the mudslide and flash flood, which were even worse than the ones from the week before. I heard on the news that it takes from 3-5 years for an area to stabilize after it has been ravaged by fire.

The first two videos (below) were taken on Highway 24 last week during the mud-flood. The last video was taken along Fountain Creek by someone walking his dog. Pay close attention at the beginning of the video and you will see the color of the water darken as the muddy water from up the canyon enters the creek. And the siren you hear later in the last video, is a Flash Flood siren. These sirens can be found in many of the steep, narrow canyons which dot the foothills of the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. That ear piercing sound warns hikers and residents of impending floods.

And then there was the tornado on Pikes Peak this past Saturday....

image source

I think someone needs to check those HAARP settings......

Questions Answered......

Someone mentioned wanting to know about the natural disasters I have experienced, so here goes...

1. Blizzard - while growing up/living in Colorado High Country, experienced several severe storms that would knock out power & left us using the wood stove to heat & cook with & kerosene lanterns to use for light
   
2. Earthquake - while never having experienced a severe one, I did feel quite a few while living in both Washington & Alaska; seeing the plants sway from the ceiling hooks, hearing the dishes rattle in the cupboard, & feeling the ground move under your feet is something else
3. Flood - when living in Louisiana, Tropical Storm Allison flooded the bayou behind our home, bringing the water up onto the nearby road & almost covering the bridge which was located at the corner of our property
4. Forest Fire - while living in Colorado, one major forest fire brought dark skies, smoke, & soot our way. The other smaller fire was much closer and a Forest Service fire fighting helicopter dipped water out of the local pond with its bucket to drop on the fire.
5. Hurricane - While living in Louisiana Hurricane Lili came ashore almost directly south of us (we lived approx. 20 miles from the coast). Lili was a Category 4 (with wind speeds of 145 mph) one day prior to making landfall but rapidly decreased in strength to a Category 1 when it hit the coast of Louisiana.
6. Tornado - The first tornado was a small one which was spawned from Hurricane Lili and went through our property; defoliating several trees and demolishing a storage shed. The second one was just this April when a EF3 tornado left a 14 mile path of destruction through the town of Mena, Arkansas (where we live).
7. Volcanic Eruption - I lived in Washington near Mount St. Helens before and during its eruption. Experienced ash fall-out and earthquakes.

I'm throwing these in for good measure -

1. Freezing Arctic Temperatures - Lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for several years and experienced (minus) -70 deg. temperatures
2. Blistering Desert Temperatures - Lived in Phoenix, Arizona from June through December & I was pregnant!

I had someone mention to me that I must have a dark cloud hanging over me, that is why I have experienced all of these things. I don't think so! Having had experiences like these comes from moving around a lot! And boy, does it give you stories to tell!

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Here is the ONLY picture I could find of the PUMPKIN HOUSE that we lived in. (And all the locals knew the house by THAT name!) It is located in what was a small ex-mining community in the Colorado Rockies. It was originally just a one room cabin. The window you see is the one Hubby would paint up at Halloween. {the color may be a bit off as I had to scan the photo}

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As for yesterday's PUMPKINS, check out this site STOLLOWEEN. I used his method of making JOL to make mine. This is the front of the two Pumpkins you saw yesterday.