Flooding, and Friday Freebie

It's raining. It's blowing. It's flooding. It's snowing. And in some areas, there's freezing rain coming in tonight. Mother Nature is really cranky!

It was a bit challenging out on the road yesterday morning. Hubby had called on his way in to work to let me know that water was either coming up over, or already over several roads. On my own way out I ended up diverting several times.

Not before getting pictures though. lol

I had a friend say to me, you'll find an artistic opportunity in just about anything.

I suppose there's some truth in that. Plus we didn't live in our current house during the big flood so I want to photograph whatever happens out here as part of 'our' history.

The pictures aren't spectacular because I took them from inside the car with the rain pelting down. I know that blogging etiquette suggests pristine pictures, but sometimes that simply isn't possible. This was one of those times.

Five minutes from home I ran into this. Not particularly deep, though deeper than it appears from the camera angle. I wasn't going to chance it in my small car, not with the water that I saw coming from the field on the left.

Second turn around of the morning, five minutes further up the road. The current was really swirling the water around on this one, so I wasn't attempting it either, especially since I could visibly see the water rising as I sat there. Silly perhaps, but I figure better safe than sorry. I have no plans to be one of those people. You know the ones. They end up on the news because they're stuck out in the middle of a huge wave of water. Like this guy.

Notice the wave behind his car? And check out the photo caption. You have to be told that? People never cease to amaze.

The car on the other side of the road in my photo must have made the same decision (or maybe he was taking pictures too), because right after I turned around he did as well.

After diverting around the above water, I got back on to the same road from the other side. Everything was fine the rest of the way in. Seeing this flooded field I had to turn around to get a picture though. Yes, that is normally a field, complete with cattle. Right now it's a rather large river, running underneath the bridge (and possibly over the road by now).

Once in Oregon City (several miles north), I stopped at Willamette Falls to take these shots. Generally the falls are much lower, even during our rainy season, but it's also been much higher. During the 100 year flood of 1996 there was so much water that the falls weren't even visible.

A log jam near the locks.

Upon returning home in the late afternoon I found the highway had been blocked off from both directions. No idea why at that point, but eventually found out that the road had been undercut by water.

Oregon Live

At last report it will remain closed several days to indefinitely, but thankfully residents are allowed in and out from either side.

Pretty dramatic, but guess who'd love to be able to sneak over there and get her own pictures? I find it ironic that this highway has survived heavy rainfall for however many years without fail. After reconstruction and repaving a few months back, at the first sign of heavy rain it washes out. One has to wonder.

Overall things aren't too bad around us, certainly nothing like farther down south, where many people have been evacuated from their homes. Other areas have been closed due to river flooding and landslides. And part of the state is now bracing for cold air, freezing rain, and snow. We're getting it all.

Here's hoping that your weather is more settled. 

And now for the Friday Freebie. A vintage match book. Use it in your artwork, and enjoy.