"Monster" Storm

All week, the newspapers, the radio and the TV have been telling us that a monster storm was coming our way.  This storm is a blend of two systems; one is the pineapple express which is fairly common and brings heavy rain from Hawaii via the Pacific Ocean.  In this case, an extra strong pineapple express (the kind that comes around every 6-8 years) joined forces with a high wind system and started throwing all that rain, with all its windy might, at Northern California.  This morning, 50,000 people lost power in the San Francisco Bay area and wave after wave of power outtages followed the storm, through Napa and Sonoma (where a university campus was closed due to flooding - in the middle of finals week) to Sacramento and then up into the Sierras.  We had wind and light rain this morning.  Just before 2:00 in the afternoon, the deluge began.  Knock on wood, we still have power.

There are tree branches scattered across the property as expected and water is filling the streams to the top of their banks and then crossing under our road into a larger stream as it continues its journey downhill.  The goats are safe and warm in their side of the run-in and Pistol is standing on her side.

That picture was, obviously, taken on a drier day.  The rest of the horses are in the barn where they have each other and Passage for company.  She patrols the aisle and the hay stacks -- good barn cat that she is.

The donkeys are staying in their run in shed as well.  We got two eggs today, from chickens who hardly left the dry safety of their hen house.

The heavy rain will continue over night and then lessen a bit, but continue, through tomorrow.