The week-end

Castle Crags towered above our motel.



Friendships were strengthened



Water was everywhere

The surroundings were beautiful, the motel was as funky as anticipated, the reunion with friends was glorious. When we planned on rain, little did we know that it would R.A.I.N. Northern California (and now Southern as well) has experienced rain storm after rain storm, saturating the ground, filling the rivers, and causing mudslides and flooding in several places. As we drove north on Friday, our excitement was palpable. Then, just before Redding, there was a sign announcing that the highway was closed due to mud slides. But, it was a false alarm. The highway opened, and both families arrived safe and sound. That brief moment of imagining that our plans were for naught helped us not take the time for granted.

The drive home was made more exciting by the (truly) never-ending downpour, the high winds, and the view of the Sacramento River flooding its banks in several spots. We live at the top of a hill, safe from the fear of floods, but many are evacuating, or waiting for the news that their area is the next concern. I will keep them in my prayers. The memory of those churning brown rapids will help me to pray with urgency.