natural disasters

Nostalgia October 29, 2022

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I miss the mountains. I lived my whole life in British Columbia Canada up until 2012 when I moved to Manitoba Canada. Where the land is flat. Not perfectly flat but much flatter than I was used to. I miss them everyday.

That’s why I like to follow a YouTube channel I discovered close to 2 years ago when they had major flooding in BC. There is a major highway running north and south through the rugged mountains and the damage was severe. The highway follows the river running through the tight valley and the overflow took huge chunks of the highway and some of the bridges along with it.

I’ve travel this highway many times over the years and the scenery is amazing. Flying over the area gives a whole different perspective, one I’d never had until now.

This is an update video showing us how the highway has been repaired and traffic is flowing again. If you check out their channel there are lots of videos showing the original damage and subsequent efforts to get traffic moving again.It’s amazing the way they’ve managed to get it done so quickly. Many predicted it would be many years, construction in the mountains is no small feat.

The truckers are pretty happy to have it fully open, a least parts of it anyway since it is a major truck route. They did manage to have one half of the highway open to two way traffic fairly early on but two separate parts is so much better with the heavy traffic this route experiences.

Enjoy this update on the newly opened portion. Be sure to check out their other videos as well. They are an adventuresome bunch and they are entertaining to listen to. They live in the area so they are familiar with the good sights and can show us things we would never experience without them.

I’m still not sure what an atmospheric river is but I gather it’s a big storm that could bring flooding with it. Parts of the highway are about down at river height and flooding could be an issue with more damage. Fingers crossed.

Enjoy.

No books today, sadly.

Something bigger is going on. January 15, 2022

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My take-away from this new interview – in this present day with it’s upheaval and polarization the discussion here has a different perspective, we are missing the real point.

The title identifies today’s topic as Future Church Trends. This is true but it’s not the whole truth. These days we are in hot debate, coming close to blows over things like Covid, global warming, CRT, and so many more. The discussion here expands to embrace the global view, not just the church view, of our struggles and it encompasses all the areas of life we as a culture are fighting about.

Mark Sayers has taken a step back to look at the global in-fighting and has reached the conclusion, there is something bigger going on here.

His view on this speaks to me.

A number of weeks ago, as we watched the massive destruction of farmland and major highway systems in south western Canada, due to major flooding, a realization came over me. For years we have been engaged in the heated philosophical debate over climate change and how to combat it. We have totally ignored the practical aspects of infrastructure maintenance. If the level of energy given to the climate change debate had been applied to the consideration of practical areas, like fixing the reported weaknesses in the local dykes, the disaster could have been significantly reduced.

On a global level, are we so caught up in our emotional and opinionated disagreements that we are missing the reality of what is going on in our world?

Mark Sayers is not offering any thoughts on what is truly happening but I think he could be right, there is something.

The world could be falling apart all around us and the way we are fighting, we wouldn’t even notice. Until it was too late.

Personally, I’m taking a few steps back to think about what we could be missing here. What is truly going on in our world? I don’t think there are any easy answers. If we are vigilant maybe we will see the truth exposed in time to do something about it.

So, who is it? Happy to see us consumed in heated arguments while they steal the rug out from under us?

I think generations coming up behind us need us to lay aside our feuds and pay attention to reality.

Enjoy.

This and that December 05, 2021

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Am I allowed to do a this-and-that type of post two days in a row? I sure hope so because this is another I’ve-got-nothing kind of day. The usual book suggestion sites have not appeared, never mind not having interesting offerings.

Personally, I’m just as happy they didn’t as I need a reprieve from more books. I’m not reading a book a day like I had been and things are getting out of hand. I feel like I have brain fog going on too and it is not easy to settle down and spend the time it takes.

Along with that, YouTube videos call out to me every time I pass the computer, and if it’s not videos it’s games. Highly distracting and time consuming at a time I should be focusing.

As I watched this video with all the debris being carried on down the river I was thinking about the deposits left when the waters recede. Houses with all their contents and vehicles swept away, hopefully with no people in them, will have to show up somewhere when this is all over.

It’s hard to imagine raging water swallowing up people’s property. Nothing left for them to go back to. I wonder how they would be compensated for that? It’s not just damaged, it’s gone.

I’m stopping for lunch and another attempt at finishing the current book. While I’m thinking about what to say next.

Maybe there will be part two for this.

I’m planning on it.

Soon.

A little this and that November 26, 2021

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I don’t know about you but I love looking at mountains. I like travelling through them even better but pictures are good in the meantime.

So many great videos were just waiting to be discovered after the massive flooding the province of British Columbia, Canada survived several weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier.

BC is covered with both high and low mountain ranges. Today’s discovered videos were shot in high heavily treed areas. The flood damage is great and it’s taking heavy equipment to deal with the cleanup. It’s fascinating, catching a glimpse of the action.

The first video shows some of the cleanup. They also have footage of logging companies moving some of their heavy equipment out of the forest. The push is to get them out before they are trapped for the winter by heavy snow. The logging roads they had to use for evacuation look pretty challenging, especially with the lengthy distance it took to get out. Usually equipment like this would be transported on the back of big trucks not driven on the road.

The second video was interesting too, mainly because of the challenge. They had to find a safe way to remove a fallen tree threatening to take out their bridge, the only access to their home.

Taking down a tree can be dangerous, mainly because of the spring in them. You never know for sure how they will react to pressure. They can move in unexpected ways and cause serious damage. Think of walking through a forest with small branches springing back to whap you in the face. Now think of that on a much grander scale. Ouch! They were successful.

Anyway, I enjoyed these videos and thought you might too.

Today is a slow book day so there is nothing to report on that front.

Let me know if you liked these videos and I will share more of my favorites. It helps if I know you enjoyed them too.

If you live in snowless countries you can tell it’s a little chillier over here and the snow is beautiful.

The day is young, there could be more later.

Enjoy!

An aerial view of the flooding in my home town

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The area is south western British Columbia, Canada. They had unprecedented rainfall last week and the damage is crazy. The number of people stranded is staggering too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the helicopter ride. Maybe you will too. The first town is Abbotsford, I’ve lived there twice. East of the flooding is Chilliwack. I was born and raised there. Further east is a small town of Hope. It is the junction town between three highways. One travels east and two travel north. I’ve spent many hours driving all of them. I love the mountains. That’s what I miss the most where I live now. On the prairies of southern Manitoba province. Flat, flat, flat.

I’m happy to be living anywhere. And I have family here. I do love seeing home though, I have to say.

There is a second video of other parts of BC, I haven’t watched it yet but if it’s as good as the first one it will be well worth the watch.

Enjoy.

They will travel where there is snow on the mountains. It will be beautiful.

I hope you love this a much as I do.

Formidable, truly formidable. November 16, 2021

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It’s a slow book day today. That’s OK

I’ve been paying attention to what is happening in British Columbia Canada, weather-wise.

It’s crazy what’s going on there. That’s for sure

They have been having unusually heavy rain and highways and train tracks are experiencing washouts and slides. Flooding in low lying places with people evacuated.

There have been floods before but I don’t remember anything as wide spread and destructive as this.

Rushing rivers taking out anything and everything in their path

Many of the highways and rail lines run through mountainous areas. Supply shortages will be worse than they were already with trains at a standstill

The high mountains are beautiful on a dry sunny day but formidable when slides and washouts happen.

The force of nature is truly impressive, take a look. It is awe-some.