End of The Year

Where did that go? 2023 must go down as one of the worst years experienced in my life. Hard to believe in February we were knocked over by such a major disaster .By we, I mean the lovely people of Esk Valley,Puketapu,Omaranui,Rissington Awatoto and Pakowhai. All these areas were rural or semi rural and inhabited by great people who value the land and what it produces .People who largely preferred rural living and primary production for there source of income. The similarity of these people came to the fore at a time of extreme pressure and the comaradery immediately apparent saw neighbour help neighbour and each community quickly working to solve difficult situations. It was a pleasure to observe all this new found strength arousing to help friends and neighbours in their time of need. As the year comes to an end it is sad to conclude that there are still many displaced families and residents ,many houses still without any repairs, many properties still displaying damage from the ravages of the flood water. But there is hope. I do not know where people get their strength from.Plenty is going on behind the scenes and come the new year I think things will really start to move along. It will take a few years to restore properties so lets hope this next one is a giant leap towards restoration.

HUGS Come in many forms. Always special. It's been a year of meaningful hugs. Hugs from friends new friends ,helpers,old friends and special friends. I treasure every one of them. I've reached a point where I can categorise hugs but nothing like the categories inflicted on the flooded and misplaced. No, my categories all fall in to the messaging category, our embraces pass on the love and compassion and wonderful connection that needs no words. Today I had one of the best and worst hugs. A friend and colleague called to say he was travelling down the path to an end.He had tests that confirmed things were not good.And he is so young. What followed was a good kiwi chat and a hug that was supreme when it comes to hugs.Strong,long and hard hitting in the chest. A hug that will last forever in that category.One of those memories indelibly printed in the brain. Contrast such a hug with a group hug a few days earlier with the A team.Well not really a team but two exceptional young ladies that are full of warmth and understanding. These were happy hugs that will come again as we travel down the repair path. More hugs to come.

Rain Anxiety Its amazing how the left can interpret a very serious matter . I read an account about rain anxiety written by someone , who to me hadn't actually experienced a flood , hence had no actual experience, to then extrapolate such an experience in to a media story explaining how to cope and what to do when faced with a repeat. I myself would never have believed in such a state as rain anxiety unless I had experienced the devastating effect of a flood and then the follow up , the conditions building up ,the weather pattern copying a previous event. Weather patterns come and go.The time period can vary over years and many don't grasp the way nature behaves.Some peoples time lines are as short as their brain span.Others who may work on the land, work with nature ,feel an affinity with the world around them, they can understand what is occurring but as well , know that we experience changes and nothing can be done to alter the course nature. Back to rain anxiety. It is similar to many other things in life.If you have been subjected to a major event of any sort it has a great impact on your life.Your brain remembers. As the grey clouds build over several days and drizzle greets the morning or persistant light rain runs down the windows you are triggered. How long is this going to last? Preceding the flood the rain started lightly and built up to a continual lashing .It built to a level I had never experienced before. It was so heavy during the night that I couldnt escape the noise. I moved downstairs to try and get some sleep. So with another cyclone developing you wonder if it is going to build to another downfall. You check the weather forecast (even that is difficult) and note that the red spot is missing.The red that signifies intense rainfall. That is at least a comfort and one needs to be rational and relax .Well at least we hope the met people have the map right. Hope the satellite pictures are properly interpreted. Anxious.You bet.I now understand why these repeat events impacts friends and families. The lefty response to anxiety was to cozy up to the fire and relax.Pfft. Get stuffed. Some things that have been learnt are that communication is essential. Make sure your phone is charged up. It was useful having a landline until the water rose over the bench and drowned it but at least it worked for one of the family before that happened.

People, Pets and Predicaments. It was tough having to leave my mate behind when I was choppered out .At least he was rescued by the pet rescue people the next day. So hard not getting him back home before he succumbed to an internal growth. The day of the flood one friend carried his dog on his shoulders for some 1 kilometre to some precarious position of safety. Robert was trying to get to the top of a ladder to get on a roof so he could get in a helicopter.He was carrying his foxy and fell off the ladder with the poerful downdraft from the chopper. He dropped the dog and thought he was lost. Later a jetboat turned up at the rescue point and it was truly amazing that they had picked up the dog from the flood water. A neighbour of Robert lost a number of sheep and were unsure what happened to their ducks and a friendly pukeko. They had two ducks and now they have returned with another friend. The pukeko is back along with a rooster .So sad they are moving out. There are many stories of lost pets and sheep and horses.Very tough for many people.

Never Enough Thankyous. Yesterday received a box of items neatly packed and delivered in person by two lovely people on behalf of a wonderful person unknown to me. Here in this box was an array of linen but also some smaller extremely useful items such as scissors and plasters. May sseem trivial but its the little things that count at times. I ask what made a 98 yer old person I do not know , put together this collection over a period of time and then seek out myself for this wonderful gift. I also ask why on earth did it contain plasters , something I had looked for a few days earlier and a notebook ,something I always use to track jobs and contacts. The timing was magic and the thought so tremendous. To my unknown donor a huge thankyou.I wish you well and roll on 100.

Interlude Late July Great progress with gib reinstated along with some warmth and feeling. Allowed for an interlude.A break.A chance to enjoy some forbidden pleasure by partaking in coffee and walks and even a ly in. How bad is that. Comfort zones have to be popped at times (well not really) and depending on presence may be slightly enjoyed. It was a good day to visit the froth and bubble ,the force of nature, the back and forth of the swell as it threw the shingle and flotsam against manmade blocks. Blocks that in time will be challenged and pocked by years of incessant back and forth. Waves bought excitement to pram dwellers and facebooked teenagers giving them a new challenge this time real and touchable. Lovers on the verge and doggies on leads all form a continuing procession of mystified connections to nature.

Update

Now late June. Visiting local friends is still very emotional. The devastation lingers like a bad smell. I drove to the end of a nearby closed road in the weekend.I hadn't had time to go that way since the flood. Hard to believe that milled trees that had been in the yard of a local firewood supplier, had been uplifted and travelled 500 metres. Extraordinary as the trees were likely Macroarpa nd had a girth of 1metre.They were massive trees that were lifted and shifted. One was lying against an apple tree across the road from where it was in a yard. Seeing more houses that have been gutted and sit cold and desolate waiting for atention , is hard to absorb. People are gutted as well. Once this thriving area was green and full of activity.Now the road is closed and all one can hear is the beep beep from diggers and the grunt of trucks passing loaded with silt. My friends are suffering and all the authorities can do is tell us the elevation of land and that those at the lower level received more damge. Wow.Need a few degrees to come up with that. At least they are working on the local store.Essential petrol will be back and the hub of our area restored.

The end of May. Three months since that fateful day.So hard to believe. Have made a lot of progress but still a long way to go.Great to have my silt mountains removed .The Lovely Jenny was great to deal with and is doing a great job coordinating the silt removal. Silt has to be the most disgusting material to deal with. It infiltrates every nook and cranny and even when you think it has been washed,wiped,swept,shovelled and removed it appears yet again. Same with the car.What an amazing job the mechanic did in getting the ute going again. Still a few issues but the silt still shows up in the carburettor.Just enough to cause faltering and loss of power.Hopefully it is nearly all gone. Stress levels still fluctuate.Little things flick a switch and the biggest frustration has been corporates and their accounts. If things don't suit their bill system they can only give you a nice phone reponse with trained responders who dance around the problem and don't forget your conversation may be recorded so all will be well in your life. Time for another day in the world of flood land.

Us Humans

We love our pets. They become part of our lives and part of the family. When the day comes to say goodbye the emotions ebb and flow,overcome at times and guide us through what can be a rough time. To my beloved dog ,mate, friend ,companion,I salute you and say goodbye. We went through so much and you helped me survive. You were calm when I was distraught.You cuddled and nuzzled me at times where emotions were most extreme ,judgement was waverig,changes were traumatic. Who could believe you were placed in danger this year when the flood swamped our home, invaded our space and floated your kennel away from its key placement. You woke me up and alerted me of the rising water.All action until we stood on the landing watching the choppers rescue our friends and neighbours. To leave you was devastatig and another part of the trauma. Well you made a new friend in Matt even though he was chocolate! You had some new hard case habits. Never bought you enough apples. I have missed you since the flood and will miss you even more now.I had hoped to bring you back home to once again chase the rats and sniff out the appples in winter. Always with me.

Called in to see some flood friends yesterday. Have to say I was quite shocked myself when I saw them and Mr friend was looking bewildered and stunned some two months down the track. Their house which was a beautiful old two storied house with many lead light windows had had water up to the second floor.The ceiling was plaster and had begun to sink after the soaking. The worst part was that the cowboys that came in to remove the gib linings ,had exceeded their brief.They had removed doors and windows unnecessarily and the bottom story was a nightmare for rebuilding. Silt had accumulated under decking and would be hard to remove. I believe these guys acted under the orders of an insurance company and it is an example of so many approaches from bodies that don't really know what to do.

February 2023. After passing go on the first and entering another year with hope and anticipation things started ,or continued, down the path of La Nina and the weather pattern gave us further cause for worry. We were not prepared for the significant event that hit us .Those living in my local area had never experienced this type of event in a lifetime although Cyclone Bola came close. Gabrielle was something else. It came with persistant rain. Easterlies often hit us with this continual rain but this was different.The rain was heavy and continied for hours. I actually had to go down stairs to sleep.The noise in my room was such that I couldn't lie there and relax or even try to sleep.I was wondering how my mate was getting on in his kennel.I knew he was sheltered from the East but this one had me worried. Maybe it had eased by daylight I can't remember .I had some breakfast about 7 am.Went back to my bed upstairs and went to sleep. About 9 am my mate started a strange bark.I went downstairs and looked outside. The blood started pumping. Water was flowing past Ollies kennel and he was wondering what on earth was happening.So was I. I rushed out and bought him inside.I was wide awake by now.