Rains bring back flood memories
After so many years without much rain, it seems strange to have a really big rain. My backyard is a lake, so I may see my newly-planted grass just float away.
My mind goes back to the floods we used to have. When I was in high school I remember taking a canoe ride through Central Park. What if it had been caught up in the swirling current of the Luta — I might be in New Orleans by now.
During one flood, a cousin was visiting Aunt Jennie Corby (a long ago teacher) and she, the cousin, became alarmed at the rising water. Aunt Jennie lived in the valley. She called for help and my daughter Wanda and Nancy Colburn, being good little Girl Scouts, volunteered. They went down and proceeded to carry her luggage up to the hill. They had to wade through water above their knees. Somehow, they dropped the bag into the deep, murky water. Scared at what had happened, they hurried as best they could to get the suitcase to dry land. Fortunately when it was opened no water had seeped in. I don't think we ever told the cousin of the mishap.
The big daddy of all floods was in 1951. Son Bud, daughter Mary, and I had been visiting in California and arrived home just in time to encounter this phenomenon. We couldn't get to Marion, so drove to Florence. Well, that didn't help. All we could see were big refrigerators bobbing up and down as they sailed through the fast moving flood waters going through Florence. We went back to Peabody and our friends, the Slocombes, took us in. I guess you will have to wait for the "rest of the story." Anyway, we survived!
— NORMA HANNAFORD
