Gratitude in the wake of a flood
State of Emergency
Calgary… underwater. I am sitting in my new downtown condo with the lights out. The power went out yesterday morning and we moved to a hotel last night just two blocks away where the power is still on. It is comforting from the point of view of having tv and radio access to emergency messaging from the city.
We are so lucky. Last night we went for a drive in the downtown area and in our area the belt line. I took a few pictures of the swollen Bow River. It is FIERCE right now. I also took a picture of people in a boat in an intersection near the stampede grounds. They are underwater and until the water recedes no one is sure what the damage is. Today I heard that there is an army of volunteers lined up to get to work as soon as possible to get the grounds ready for the greatest outdoor show on earth which is scheduled to start on the 5th of July, less than two weeks from now. The frontier spirit is strong here and if anyone can make that happen it is the good people of Calgary.
The Saddle Dome is also damaged badly. Not sure what will happen to the headliner shows that were planned for every night of the 10 day event.
All of this on a back drop of ruined houses and communities that will never be quite the same. High River on lock down. Canmore’s landscape and map redrawn by the raging cougar creek. Countless heartaches as everyone regroups beginning to prepare to rebuild. Today is calm. People are assessing and gathering in preparation of the long hard job ahead to pull it all back together.
Nature has our attention. The City has done a phenomenal job of keeping people informed. The citizens of Calgary have stepped up and over the next few weeks we will all get a chance to see what we are made of. Deep breaths today as we stand at the starting line waiting for the starters pistol to invite us on to track to run the race. We are as ready as we can be when you don’t know how long a race you are going to be running. Is it a sprint or a marathon?
Time will tell. My only concern is the inconvenience of no power for a few days. I understand that I have been spared the tragic experiences of others. To those of you in need I want to remind you to be safe and lean on others. Allow them to give what they can to you and yours. It is not always easy to do that but everyone gains when we do, especially in a State of Emergency.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/q85/s720x720/1017049_10151506477526299_519680337_n.jpg
