So then, this happened

Yesterday it rained most of the day, so we puttered around the house. Late in the afternoon the rain let up to an intermittent drizzle, so we took a peek at the parks.

I stay well back from this

The river is on the boil, crammed with logs and debris and up to and/or over its banks in a lot of places. At Yankee Hill Lock there is a spot where a huge bite of bank and lawn(!!!) has been scooped out by the rushing water. I walk way inland on the grass when I pass that spot because the ground in a big half-circle around it is noticeably depressed and utterly saturated. I expect that one day soon it will liquify and sluice away down the river like the rest of the spot.

I would prefer not to be standing there when it happens.

Anyhow, the boss sat at a picnic table for a while watching the muddy water swirl by, while I walked my usual route counting birds.

I was just coming down the hill off the bike path when things started to happen.

A police car raced into the parking lot, our sheriff jumped out and ran down to the river bank. Two trucks with volunteer fireman were hot on his heels.

You normally walk down
onto this dock above the lock

We stayed in the car, thinking that they might need to ask us whom or what we saw while we were at the park.

However, after a little time the men returned to their vehicles at a much more relaxed pace, conferred for a short while, and were on their way. The sheriff stopped to exchange a few words before he left...a very pleasant and professional man... we will never forget how very helpful he was the first time the boss's dad wandered off and we had to call for help to find him. 

We soon discovered what had happened.... here is the story. Another video.

Imagine going over that dam or even through the lock and being washed that far downriver. And check out that stack of logs at about 1.30 in the video. I believe that those were fished out of the river. You can see many more bumping along in the waves. I can't imagine trying to boat with all that junk in the water.

Lock 12 is a place where we bird a lot in the winter both east and west of the bridge and dams. There is usually a decent stretch of open water even in the coldest weather and some really nice ducks are found here. (A couple checklists from last winter)

Anyhow, all's well that ends well and a big thank you to our friends and neighbors who risk their own lives to keep people here in the valley safe. Both people involved were rescued safely from circumstances that could have had a much different outcome.