Flooded...

Salvaging some memories after a small house flood today...living in a hurricane prone area for most of my life I must always be prepared to evacuate upon short notice between June 1 and November 1. I have had to do so on several occasions over the years. My approach varies depending on the amount of forewarning. If I have time, I'll do things such as move as much furniture as possible up off the floor or onto the second story if storm surge is the threat...be sure the car is filled with gasoline, tether and secure outdoor furnishings, plants and watercraft...board up windows...be sure to have clean water, some clothes, hygiene utensils, prescription drugs, computer and camera equipment..etc. If, however, there is little notice...it's simple: be sure loved ones are in the car including pets, and...be sure to bring the family photographs.
Fortunately for the past several years images are digitally stored...so one can grab the external hard drives and go. Now, almost all of the hard copy images ( that I love to hold and touch like letters and notes on postcards and stationary) are stored in a climate controlled, off site, no flood zone storage unit.

The point is, most everything besides those we love and our photographs are replaceable. The threat of losing everything makes this very clear. I look to the photographs as touchstones of good times, celebrations, growth, beauty...life memories.
Today, in this fascinating and wonderful digital age of USB's, clouds and blips, I gently and deliberately dried and preserved these photos my youngest daughter had stored in a box on her closet floor which flooded while I was out of town moving her half way across the country.
In some strange way it seems to make sense to blip this as my 100th entry.

My heartfelt gratitude to those of you who have taken the time and made the effort to kindly and generously support my journal. You are an amazing and inspiring community of human beings. Thank you very much.