Today, we are in the middle of a storm of “biblical proportions”. We have heard it called the 100-year flood, the 500-year flood, even the 1,000-year flood! Chris and I have given it our own name….the “storm of the century” (like the Stephen King movie!). Whatever it is, we are all “over” it.

Today is Day 5, and it has been raining hard non-stop for the whole morning, with no end in sight. Today is the day that could push the creeks over the edge, and flood my little town. Today is the day that this event is pushing me over the edge. I am very emotional right now. I am sure having cabin fever is not helping us. My husband, me, the dogs and the cats are all going stir-crazy. The bird, you ask? She is the only one who doesn’t know that something is a little off, except for the fact that we have barely left the house in 4 days. I am very jealous of her right now!

My mind is racing about the what-ifs? See, I never imagined that I would be in a natural disaster. This only happens in other states. We are very lucky to live where we live. The main thing we have to worry about are fires. They are a huge disaster to worry about, but Boulder, my little town, has been very lucky so far. Even watching fires go on for the past few years in Colorado, as hard as it was, is nothing like actually “being” in the disaster yourself. It is hard enough going through it, but the aftermath is so much worse. Seeing all your favorite places on the national news, destroyed…there is nothing quite like it. I don’t recommend it! Then, hearing what your friends are going through is heartbreaking. Especially now, when it is not quite over…the “not” knowing what the final outcome will be. Hearing on the local news that there are over 200 people in your town alone who are unaccounted for, not knowing if any of those people are friends, or acquantances, or friends of friends, is very sad. It is so easy to get sucked in to all the horrible things that are going on..that might be….that could be. And, why is this happening at all, anyway? What did Boulder ever do to deserve such a tragedy? What does any state do, for that matter?

Then, when I thought it couldn’t get much worse, my neighbor informed us his little dog went missing. WHAT?? This was last night. So, Chris and I, without thinking twice, grabbed treats and a leash, and went out and looked for her. We don’t even know her, yet the idea of her being missing in the storm was unbearable. We looked until dark (which was only about 30 minutes). Then we worried, all night. Poor little 15-pound Zoe, out in the rain, all by her scared self. I silently asked the fairies and archangel Michael to please bring her back safely, and to watch over her and keep her safe and dry.

As soon as we got up this morning, we checked Richie’s facebook page to see if Zoe was home. Nope, no such luck. By now, it was raining consistently, and hard. About 30 minutes later, there it was—the post saying that they found her at the Humane Society. Some kind Boulderite soul, in the middle of our natural disaster, had driven her across town to the Humane Society. What a town we live in! This is why Boulder is my home.

So, all is now good in the neighborhood. We are all tucked into our respective homes, with all our animals, riding the storm out.  Now, it is just a waiting game. Wait for the rain to end, and hope no more flooding occurs. Wait for the powers-that-be to finish their assessment of our little town, and neighboring towns, and epic mountains. Wait for the money to come in to help fix the roads, so we can, once again, enjoy the beauty of our state. We all know that this will soon be over, and we will all be back, better than before. And ,we will be stronger, knowing that we all weathered the storm of the century, and lived to tell the tale! I have never been so proud to call myself a Coloradon! #Coloradoproudandstrong!