Dorothy

[MJ]

Hey Dorothy, wondering how you are doing with all the flooding going on. I am so proud of you for the way you step up and help others. How's everything going in Houston?

[DorothyB]

I'm doing pretty good.

Sunday someone who lives a few miles away evacuated, handwalking her horses part of the way. Her three horses came to my house and she spent the night about 1.5 miles away, down the street from keetgirl (who used to post here).

She called me just after 7AM and said that they were going down the street w/ a bullhorn saying that they needed to evacuate. I immediately called Denise and woke her up. She looked out the window and water was almost to the house!!

I ended up parking about 1/4 mile from my house, towards her house, because I was afraid to leave my truck any closer because it might be flooded. I walked 1 mile through water where a lot was deep enough that I couldn't tell where the esplanades started & ended.

I got to her house and a few minutes later the previously evacuated friend (L) walked over from down the street. The two of us hand-walked Holly (mare keetgirl rescued) and Zab (used to belong to ChrisNStar) to my house. I could see dry land several hundred feet away going the "back way" to my house. Keetgirl is 1.2 miles the short way and 1.6 miles the back way from my house. We got through the water and most of the walk to my house was on dry ground.

Then L used my truck to help her friends that were at the other end of the street from keetgirl while I used my car to help keetgirl's family. We drove as close as we could. I waded across the water and got their two dogs. The dogs are large and still had to swim part of the way. Stuck them in my car and went back. Keetgirl, her dad & I carried two dog crates (one crate each trip) containing a total of 15 chickens across the floodwaters to my car. Then I went back once or twice more. Once we got the "must haves" (animals, including 2 parakeets & cage), a change of clothes each, etc then did two trips to my house carrying everything.

L was doing the same w/ her friends, then keetgirl & L went and helped others get horses out of nearby neighborhoods, etc.

Monday late afternoon I had at my house:
Horses - my 2, keetgirl's 2, L's 3, K's 2, and 5 others
Dogs - my 2, keetgirl's 2 & L's 2
Cats - keetgirl's 2, L's 2 & C's 2
Parakeets - 2
Chickens - my 19 + keetgirl's 15
People - me, keetgirl & parents, L & S, C & L, K for a total of 9

4 people, 2 dogs & 4 cats went to stay elsewhere, leaving their horses w/ me, but they were able to come twice a day to care for their horses.

By Thursday, and continuing through now, the people have all moved out, all but C & L able to return to their homes. Keetgirl's house stayed almost dry inside, but garage, barn & chicken coop (and probably 2 cars) flooded. She also had to leave her truck there, but it is OK. I still have keetgirl's 2 horses and 1 other horse here in addition to my 2. The parakeets and chickens are still here. Keetgirl's 2 dogs are spending the days w/ me while they clear out garage, etc. Many nights, one of her dogs stays here.

This is the worst our area has ever flooded and it was scary walking in water more than halfway up my thighs, part of it with current. I got a little concerned about my house, but knew it wouldn't get as bad - and didn't have any flooding issues at all other than a couple of inches of water in one corner of the barn (entry & small chicken coop). I knew the small coop could get water and have a small "table" about a foot off the ground in addition to their nesting boxes & roosts - and left the doors to both coops open from the start of the hurricane through even tonight since some of keetgirl's are sleeping elsewhere in the barn.

[Marci]

Wow sounds like quite the experience. How scary. Glad that the houses stayed dry, And most of the barn. I imagine the real works starts now with the clean up. ((((HUGS)))

[ride4fun]

You are so awesome not just offering your high ground but wading through that water to help evacuate all those critters.

[kerryc]

WOW scary!!

I wish Keetgirl would post. I wish more people would post. I miss reading up on your horses and events taking place.

[DorothyB]

Keetgirl doesn't even do facebook . . . just doesn't do on-line stuff. She is waiting until January to have surgery on her ankle - it has bony spurs from when it was broken several years ago.

[kerryc]

DorothyB please give Keetgirl my best for her surgery. I fell and broke my wrist at the end of Aug. Had to have surgery to remove a bone chip and put everything back plus 2 plates and pins. Bone is the easy part to fix. The PT on the soft tissue is the hard part. Just trying to get my wrist to flex is not so fun.

[Idaho Linda]

Congratulations on a job well-done! And wish Keet the best for her surgery.