Streams in the Desert

I mentioned the other day the extreme dryness we have been experiencing here on the front range. The mountain range we live next to is called the Greenhorn Mountains or the Wet Mountains. These seemed very much misnomers at least in the time we have lived here. They might be better called the Parched Mountains.

Until..... my wonderful yesterday continued beyond the morning rattlesnake kill and dog to the vet for a rattlesnake bite (he is fine thankfully). In the afternoon, we stopped in to visit some friends for a minute on our way home from getting Isabel from a playdate. It started to rain and in a matter of minutes the yards and roads were flooded and my friend's basement window wells were flooded and water was headed in to her basement. There was also the worst lightning I think I have ever seen. It was one bolt after the next after the next-- all with almost immediate thunder that made my insides vibrate.

We were waiting for it to let up just a little to make a run to the truck to head home. The ride home is all dirt roads so I was getting worried about the roads becoming impassable. It did not let up. We decided we just had to go anyway. We ran to the truck and Isabel and I both lost our flip flops in the mud and had to stop and dig them out. We were soaked to the skin by the time we got into our truck.

Our ride home was filled with prayers that we would make it. There were multiple rivers from the fields on the way home that have been dry forever and were now rushing across the dirt highway. If I had waited another few minutes to head home, I don't think I would have been able to cross them safely-- even in my giant truck.

The rain and lightning continued, and we drove into our driveway to find things flooded but not as bad as my mind had imagined. We ran in and began the clean up of ourselves and the house. I had left three windows cracked. The wind had knocked off all the framed pictures from a chest in the living room and the furniture and floor was soaked in the general vicinity of those windows.

I went out to see our puppies who were covered in mud head to toe. They were on the porch and looked freaked out. The entire back yard was flooded and a big mud pit. I glanced out into our first field and was shocked to see some of those long dry rivers I was talking about. We had two giant raging rivers cutting through the land all the way from the back hills, past the house, and on toward the neighbor's field and across the road. I watched as my shooting target milk jugs washed right down our new river. I took pictures to send to Harland, but they don't do it justice.

The dogs were on high alert after the snake ordeal and now flooding. They barked often and much, and I was up checking on what they saw constantly. The rain finally stopped and the kids and I crashed at nine. I was up at one to check on the dogs, and it was raining again. We desperately needed rain but all at one time is a lot to handle.

I just heard on the news that the rains are starting up again today after three pm. We are under another flash flood watch-- great. My plan is to be home before three and to remain thankful for the rain.

Matthew 5:45 "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Isaiah 43:18-21 "Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."