Winter has arrived here on Big Island. Yes, we have loads of snow…..up mauka (up-mountain).
And rain. Lots of rain. Astounding amounts of rain.
We have a gulch on one side of our property, over which is a footbridge which allows us access to the parking area on the other side. When we first looked at this property, a gentle stream gurgled beneath the bridge, adding a charming babble to our coming and goings.
As the snow melted off Mauna Kea, so did the stream dry up, and for the last several months, the stream has been a dry bed.
Then came the rain.
I have been working the night shift this week, 7pm till 7am. On Friday, having had heavy downpours all day, and having heard on the news that the entire island of O’ahu had suffered a power outage, I left 20 minutes early, thinking I could have a time cushion if I ran into problems. Things went….excuse the pun….swimmingly for 5 miles. Then traffic stopped. Dead. I sat in the queue of cars for 15 minutes. My cushion disappeared.
After 30 minutes, other motorists were exiting their cars, gathering for chats in the oncoming traffic lane—in which there was NO oncoming traffic. A bus driver 6 cars up said he had radioed in and found that a landslide had occured 5 miles ahead of me.
Here on Big Island, there is one road around the island. If it is blocked, one cannot easily go around the problem……and it goes through some deserted space….. Space where cell phones don’t work too well. After several tries, I raised DH and had him call in to work to let them know my situation.
At 8:30pm, we finally started moving, and I arrived at work at 9pm-2 hours late. (Yes, they managed to arrange coverage till I arrived…..).
The next morning I drove home, and parked on the far side of the gulch. I heard a roar, and gingerly descended the stone stairway to the footbridge, and was met with the sight of a raging river.
Know what? It’s wet. It’s gray. But I don’t have to shovel it! And it’s still 75 degrees. Bring it on!!
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