There’s no stopping the rain. It comes down in sheets. Eases off and returns to its deluge form again.
It’s going to go on like this for another day, the weather forecasters foretell.
And I watch the river like a hawk.
It is my ‘June’ thing. Riverwatch.
June is the rainy month in Calgary. If the river is going to flood, it will most likely do so now.
And I keep watch.
Prepare my ‘gotta go package’. Important papers. Suitcase. Treasures.
The likelihood of needing it is low. In the great flood of 2013, the river came to our back fence. No higher.
But…
Who knows with Mother Nature? Though the forecasters do foretell that these rains are still significantly less than the rains of the great flood, I still keep watch.
I let that knowledge comfort me. Ease my mind.
Living on the river is a gift or perhaps I should call it a privilege. Because it is.
We get to watch the river coursing through Mother Nature’s unfolding seasons from fast-flowing spring to sultry summer to Autumn’s gunmetal greys and winter’s glistening ice blanket.
We are party to buds bursting forth into a green curtain of beauty playing peek-a-boo with the view beyond their greenery to falling away to reveal the river flowing and freezing up and breaking up and flowing once again.
It is a privilege to live on the river.
And, just as darkness contains light and love contains anger, with that privilege comes the knowledge that what is cherished most also contains the potential to become something less desired.
As in all things, vigilance, standing in awareness, being present within all that is present, contains opportunities for miracles to unfold, love to rise and hearts to beat wild and free.
Not allowing the possible less desired to deter us from living here requires an acceptance of all that is present. The beauty, the constant flow of water, the sense of being immersed in Mother Nature through every season while being part of a vibrant and bustling city is divinely inspiring and invigorating.
And so, I watch the river.
She’s a wild one today.
She’ll be wild for another couple of days, the weather forecasters foretell.
Guess it’s a good thing I like living on the wild side!
Dare Boldly 
Mother Nature has her own way of telling us humans that we need to be ever vigilant. Living on the banks of a river or the shores of a bay gives one a better understanding that the forces of raging waters, coupled with winds of unlimited powers, are a force to be reckoned with. (Pardon the cliches but sometimes they get the message across.)
As much as I love being by water, at times such as what Calgary is experiencing again, truly humbles one.
Take care, stay alert and get that “gotta go package” ready!
Thinking of you, namaste ❤️
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That it is Iwona. Humbling. Mystifying. Magnificent and scary too.
Today, the rains have somewhat let-up. The river runs wild and fast and muddy. Normally it’s a beautiful deep blue — Paynes greyish. This morning. Camouflage brown.
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the City emergency folks are predicting the river will crest on Wednesday (I hope they mean this Wednesday!) … their building a berm on Memorial Drive … tic toc … we’ll see
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Looks like we’ve dodged the bullet — or is it storm? We’ve lived in this house 4 years — in the flood in 2013 the water came to our back fence while Bowness on the other side flooded. looking out, I can’t imagine how much more water that was last year! wow! It’s still 3 – 4 feet below the bike/walking path under the bridge, fortunately.
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Mother nature often throws hissy fits and we all suffer
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Thank you for the smile this morning JoAnne! She does! And we do! But… I kind of think she has the right to be angry right now! We’re not doing a good job of taking care of this planet! ❤
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Married to an engineer. Even with the beauty there would never be a house for us in a flood plain. I saw that Kananaskis area had like a foot of snow which means the Bow will rise even more as that melts. Yes it will be a wild few days. I did think of you as we chatted with our brother (in-law) who lives in High River and was flooded out last time. Bernie
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I understand how your husband feels! and thinks! 🙂 But… we’re on the Montgomery side which is 8 ft higher than Bowness — and is not designated as on the flood plain — though I must admit, looking out at the river this morning — it is very swollen and angry! 🙂 HOpe your brother-in-law is ok this time.
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