Home Chapter 15

    With spring came warmer weather and more moisture from the Gulf. Sporadic weak fronts moved through producing more and heaver rain with the impetus from climate change. For the most part we were protected by our tent even though the zipper on our door was broken. Zippers on tent doors are their weakest point. They are fine for occasional campouts but fail after several weeks of daily use. All homeless people know this and plan for it.

     Des went out rain or shine to feed Jim and Oscar. Oscar went outside to do his business as usual and had to forego his daily walk often. Until a week the area received over six inches of rain from skies laden with more. Jim was first to notice when he felt he was floating. Daylight showed he was actually floating on the tent floor where water had entered under their tent. Looking out they saw the area was covered with several inches of flood water and rising.

    Des braved the water and obtained two raised cots for sleeping above the tent floor where the water was slowly getting in. And the rain continued to fall and the flood water grew deeper and wider. Oscar was hurting but refused to go inside or go out. Des finally took him out to higher ground to relieve himself. His training and his dachshund stubbornness wouldn't allow him to do anything else.

    Like a gift from heaven which we believed it was a check came and Des was able to buy a new and larger tent and located really high ground. Robo and Ron cleared a path up and erected our new home. Des carried Oscar up but Jim had a problem not being able to walk. He made it to his wheelchair and propelled himself backward through the water trying to reach the path up at the waters edge. He hit an underwater snag and ended up falling out of the chair so he half paddled and crawled through to the path. He crawled through the muddy and dry patches until he nearly reached the top where he met Des coming to help him out of the tent. She as amazed at what he managed on his own and he was proud of himself.

     Both Ron and Robo were invited to sleep in the big tent since their sites were also underwater but they declined so it was again just the three of us which we were all thankful for.