Massachusetts and Rhode Island were hit by heavy rainstorms in March. Bristol County, where we were living last year, has been declared a federal disaster area; Middlesex County, where we lived seven years ago, is also a disaster area, as are Essex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.
The photographs of flooding on the Boston Globe Web site show places that we know well: water pouring over the dam at Moody Street in Waltham, broken culvert at Route 119 in Littleton, Cambridge Turnpike in Concord closed due to flooding, Route 140 in Freetown closed due to flooding, duck boats helping people get to their houses in Wayland, flooding in Peabody, and on and on. My favorite photo was from Acton, the town where my sister lives — someone took a piece of plywood and some red spray paint to make a big sign: “ARK FOR SALE.”
If you’re in Massachusetts, I’d love to hear from you. Are you flooded out? Has it stopped raining yet?
Dan! I am a wee young (twenty-something) thing from Concord, actually, a lifelong member of First Parish in Concord (parents are Richard and Kate, brother Jonathan, if that gives any glimmer of recognition). For the past five years, I’ve felt a strong pull to ministry, so I’ve been looking for UU/Ministerial blogs for a while, and yours has become a staple of my blogroll.
As for the flooding, it’s… rough. My parents live in a deck house (literally half under ground) that has no leaks whatsoever, so they’re fine (miraculous, too!). However, they essentially live on an island– many roads are flooded (rt 117, 62, Sudbury Road), and a coworker who lives in Maynard had two-hour commutes (when it’s normally 40 minutes) for much of the past couple weeks. I have a friend in Rhode Island who spent a sleepless night or two this week keeping her basement from flooding.
But today dawned bright and sunny, and the extended forecast gives us great big bouts of sunshine and weather in the 60’s and 70’s for Easter. We’re hardy New Englanders, and just in time for Easter, the sun is back, and indeed, we have risen again.
Thanks for your thoughts, Dan.
Forecast for Stow, MA for the next few days:
Friday: Sunny and 71 deg.
Saturday: Sunny and 79 deg.
Sunday: Mostly Sunny and 71 deg.
Monday: Mostly Sunny and 71 deg.
My basement never got a drop of wate i it unlike most homes.
Great photo. We had in DC, as one friend said, “rain of biblical proportions,” but still lots less than New England.
Sarah K. @ 1 — Thanks for the update on Concord area flooding.
You write: “For the past five years, I’ve felt a strong pull to ministry…” Cool! Make sure you get someone to talk with you about the realities of the job market, though — it’s probably best to plan grad school so you minimize debt load.
Ed @ 2 — Glad to hear your basement remained dry!
@ Dan —
As Ed mentioned, it cleared right up, thankfully, and it’s been sunny and gorgeous for the past two days.
Thanks for the advice!! I’m being very cautious and learning about financial aid options. Since I’m in the Boston area, I’m looking closely at ANTS and the possibility of continuing to work while going to graduate school. Also, I’m not completely dead-set on becoming a parish minister; I’ve been working in nonprofits for the past four years, and I’m not averse to secular options that fit with the path of ministry. Thank you for your note of caution– this is a troublesome economy, the job market is difficult, and I know this career path isn’t known for its lucrative financial payouts, to say the least.