Drip, Drip. Drip

It's Sunday afternoon and no it's not midweek but I wanted to post a non-blog event if there is such a thing.

I predicted it would rain and it did.

The roofer started on Thursday and intended to work on Saturday and Sunday to work on what was supposed to be a 2 week part of the overall project.

Our little dog is afraid of thunder and lightening and just goes ballistic when it does.  In the night early Saturday morning, I heard her trying to dig her way through the utility room door.  As I went to let her out, I had not heard it thunder and I could hear no rain.  I was somewhere between awake and asleep as I walked down the hall.  I never heard it rain.  But it did.

Saturday morning the Sheriff called to tell me it had rained about an inch and had flooded the Courthouse.  I admit it was 8:30 and I had not quite stirred yet.

Now how does this work?  It only rained about an inch but there had to have been 3 or 4 inches that got into the Courthouse.

It just gradually worked its way through the building.  The old jail floor was awash everywhere.  In the law library, you could not see the carpet.  It was dripping through all of the ceilings from the light fixtures and the District Courtroom had a good 1/4" of water in it.

I think the old girl had about a 15 degree list to her by the time I got there.

The Project Manager got here about 6:30 a.m. and got recovery crews from Fort Worth in route.

It seems that the roofing crew had stripped off all of the roof we had and so it was open to the concrete deck.  If you recall, they were only supposed to take off as much each day as they could replace that same day.

When I got here, people were vaccuuming water up everywhere and even the roofer was here looking kinda hang dog and trying not to make eye contact with me or the Project Manager as I was briefed on the situation. 
We called the Department heads to come do a damage report and protect their records.  I called the Commissioners and posted a handwritten agenda for an Emergency Meeting at 12:45.  The handwritten agenda is probably the first one in the history of the Open Meetings Act in Jack County.  I had to do it in a hurry and it's scratched up pretty good.  I hate to think that a 100 years from now that someone will look at it and say, "heh, Edna, come look at this!"  I even mispelled "roof."

The Court met.  I briefed the members on what I knew and the Project Manger was given the floor.  I do not think we took any action; just heard the story and how the PM was going to respond.  But you see I would not know much past my part because I had to leave.

I had a wedding to perform at 1 o'clock.  It was gonna be in the County Courtroom and it had buckets and the Commissioners were all there and they sure weren't dressed for a wedding.  At 1 o'clock, the bride's mother who I had talked to earlier in the morning called to see if I was close to getting there as I had moved it to a local church for which I just happened to have a key.  I told her I was on the way.

I grabbed up my judge's robe and headed out the door.  I was determined that nothing was going to spoil the day for that young bride and her family!!!  I couldn't get to where I could print a copy of my text for the ceremony so I did it for the first time "without a net."  I told them and we were all pleased with the outcome.  Bless those children!  Certainly, I will never forget their wedding day.

The Recovery people have been here all day and night and will be with us till at least tomorrow.  They have machines and gadgets that pumped water and then have blown dry air everywhere and even a couple of things that draw moisture out of the air (we have plenty to work with) and push the water through little plastic lines that empty their product into sinks.

As bad as it is, it's not as bad as it could have been.  Looks like all electronics and permanent records are okay.  We had some boxes of stored records that got wet and so we are not sure what their status is.  I think we bought all of the plastic sheeting and blue tarps that the hardware store and lumber yard had to sell.

Now they have to find another roofer and not sure yet when he will be here.  We have a jury trial starting  Tuesday morning in the District Courtroom.  But it did rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But Jack County people are a scrappy lot!  We ain't gonna let no little thing like this get us down.  We'll just cinch it up, hunker down, and take a new direction.

A friend gave me this in a hard time and I look at it once and again.  Now might be another good time.  I think the fellow underneath is an old county judge.

Now, please join me in a word of prayer.  Lord, I've lived in Texas all my life and I know it is a down right sin to pray against rain and I'm not gonna start now but if you take suggestions I might offer one.  It would sure work a whole lot better for some of us here in Jack County if you could just delay it for a couple of weeks.  But if you want it to rain, we need it desperately and you just send it.  We'll just deal with it.  Amen.

Oh, and we really are grateful for the rain.  We never loose sight of the fact that it, like all of our blessings, come from you.