The Great Escape

It has always been said, be careful what you wish for...

It has been so very dry the last few weeks and we have been praying for rain. Things are dry, parched and beginning to wither. Or should I say were...

Last night the rains came. It started around dark. Thunder, lighting and torrents of rain. The satellite went dead for hours. I was reading and at 11:00 or so it was still raining in sheets. I knew the daylight would not bring pretty pictures.
I awoke to find the pond had overrun it's banks and was up to the top of the dock. The pool had run over as well. Deep gullies snaked their way through the gravel drives. Water had run in the barn and chicken house. Ugh..
I went about my daily chores and errands. When I started the evening rounds I noticed sheep and goats were on the wrong side of the fence. It seems that a river of water had run down the hill and totally washed out several sections of fence. I had sheep, goats and a wayward milk cow scattered as far as the seven seas on county property behind the barn. The fence was covered in so much mud and debris that I knew I could never get it up and fixed without the help of a tractor so I went about gathering up critters with thoughts of locking them all in the barn for the night. Several hours later after tromping through the poison ivy and tripping over a crabby snapping turtle that was laying eggs (more than once, I might say!) all were safely locked in the barn. Or so I thought...
It seems that the latch on the back of the barn can be and was wiggled loose during the night and I once again had a bunch of escapees. I had to head off to work so I called my husband in hopes he could get home and get started before I got home from work. We finished the repairs this evening, but not before having togather up the multitudes once again. I am sure the county would not be very happy, but the honeysuckle and poison ivy are not near as rampant as before and the goats have gained an extra pound or two!