The Blog of Blues

[blues2cruise]

The smoke from all the wildfires is finally clearing up. I went for a ride. Yay me. I need to get a throttle rocker though. My thumb joints (especially the right) often hurt due to arthritis. A throttle rocker would help to ease the hand.

If I can figure out a way to get a different bike with DCT, I will. In the meantime, there's Tylenol.

Today, I got my gear on and walked out the door to find it raining. I went back in. I can still ride in the rain if necessary. For example, it rained on me half way home last week. I kept going but with a bit more care. Nowadays, I would rather wait until it's dry out to ride.

[pchast]

That's how I feel too. I've been discouraged by the rain often this summer.

[blues2cruise]

Finally.....I went for a proper ride. I got a throttle rocker to help with my hand pain. I did a circle ride of 330km and was gone for 7 hours. A satisfying day, indeed.

Now, I just have to resize some pictures for here.

[blues2cruise]

I have been getting out riding a bit. I've done a few long days and am happy to say, I managed ok. I got a throttle rocker so when I'm on the highway, my thumb joint can rest. I put away the mesh gear for the year and dug out the cool weather gear. I am pleased that it all still fits.
I'm not as inclined as I used to be to ride in the rain. I can and will if I happen to get caught in it, but nowadays, don't choose to go out if it's raining.

Today was a 4 wd day. I drove up into the hills behind Merritt for some autumn scenery and fresh air and sunshine. The roads are gravel, so I don't go up there with my cruiser.

[blues2cruise]

I have been absent for a while again. So much has happened.

The latest thing was shortly after I last posted. November 15, I had to evacuate my house. At 4:15am the sirens outside woke me up and the flashing lights made me get out of bed. The police were slowly cruising a long the street ordering everyone to evacuate immediately. I looked out my front door to see what the heck was going on and saw water on my porch.
It was a flood.
I quickly got dressed, grabbed a satchel of important papers, my laptop, my handbag and left the house. I went to my truck and left my driveway. The street had over a foot of water at that point. I drove up to high ground where a drive through was open and got some coffee and something to eat. It was 4:45 am. I drove to a park and sat in the dark wondering what to do. You could say I was feeling a bit stunned. A friend and neighbour called me an hour later. He had driven his wife to work and was safe. He drove up to meet me and at daylight we went up a road over the town to have a look. Almost the whole low area of the town almost to downtown, was under water. We, and several other vehicles were up there when the police came by and asked all of us to go back into town. One of the bridges was about to give way and they were worried about the other bridge and wanted to be sure that nobody would get stuck on the wrong side if the other bridge gave way.

The water kept rising for a few more hours.
All the roads to my family and friends at the coast were closed due to the washouts and landslides from this violent storm. This was an anomaly for where I decided to move. There was so much rain in such a short time, that the Coldwater River swelled so fast and broke the banks. This has never happened before.
Anyway, a woman I know who lives 12 km outside of Merritt, BC, phoned me. She told me I should come to to her house. I have been with this couple since Nov. 15. It is now Jan. 7.
My house is not habitable. It will be a few more months at least before I can rebuild.
All my furniture is gone. Beds are gone. Carpets, stereo, speakers, computer speakers, photo albums, and more. All gone to the dump. We were kept out of town by the the police at barricades for 19 days. So for 19 days, the mud and sewage got to percolate and make matters worse.
The water receded, but the wetness stayed. The moisture continued to wick upwards to the point that all the drywall had to come out up to the ceiling. The flooring had to come off. The baseboards, the baseboard heaters, the bathroom gutted. Insulation. The subfloors have to come to the joists off as well. It is still very wet. Most of the walls are down to the 2 x 4's. The kitchen cabinets had to come out because the moisture seeped in enough that they swelled and warped.

My host gave a toothbrush to use and gave me some of her clothes to wear. We weren't even allowed back into town to retrieve belongings. I drove to another town to get an emergency prescription for medication. I struggle with anxiety and depression, so it was important to get it. While I was at that town, I was directed to the ESS. Emergency Social Services. I got a donated winter coat there. So grateful that they had something.
I'm still evacuated. My insurance denied my claim. Said I was not eligible for flood coverage. I'm qualified for the Disaster Relief Fund from out provincial government, but that takes time. In the meantime, I've done what I can with the help of a few friends. I hired a couple of young guys to help with the drywall and flooring removal. I was able to pay them well because of donated money. Some former coworkers set up a Go Fund Me for me. I am so thankful. With the GoFundMe money so far, some personal e-transfers, and Red Cross, I have enough money to pay for the next phase of cleanup. The company is coming in on Monday with their commercial fans, dehumidifiers, heaters etc., to start the process. They will also remove the rest of the drywall, the subfloors, the window trims, all the nails still in the walls....they will get the house rebuild ready. Fortunately, I can pay for this part.
The rebuild itself will coast somewhere around fifty thousand to sixty thousand dollars....if they don't have to take down the ceiling.

The house is old enough that it has some vermiculite in the insulation up in the ceiling. That means possible asbestos. If it doesn't have to be disturbed, it won't be a problem. However, if it can't get dried, the ceiling will have to come down. They will try hard to get it dry first. If the ceiling has to be removed, it will be about another thirty thousand dollars because they will have to quarantine the house to deal with the asbestos.

In the meantime, I'm still at this older couple's house. They like having me here. I help them with driving them and doing errands for them. I also walk their dog. They can't do that any more due to their mobility problems. So, it's a win-win for both us right now. Unfortunately, the internet is sketchy. It's via satellite and sometimes the signal isn't there. Their house is sort of rural and there is no fiber optic or cabled internet.

Yes, there is a motorcycle involved in this big write up.
It is currently stuck in the frozen mud. By the time we were allowed to come back into this section of town, ( this was the hardest hit), the temperatures had dropped and the mud was frozen. As far as I can tell the mud stopped a fraction of an inch under the frame. There is a small of mud in the end of the bottom pipe. The mud went up on the wheels to the disc. I'm hoping it will only need a good cleaning. I can't get the cover off it right now, because it's frozen into the mud on the bottom. I don't want to cut it if I don't have to. I can't get to the battery. I wanted to take the battery out to save it. I don't know if it will be able to be charged up again.

All my yard equipment is frozen in mud in the shed. That Honda gas mower was so reliable. If the grass ever does come back, I'll be mowing with a manual push mower. There is currently several inches of mud under the 2 feet of snow that has fallen.

I've been to the bank to inquire about a loan for the rebuild. I think they will do it because I will get disaster relief money so I can pay it back quickly.

I posted pictures to my Facebook page. Donna Rae

[blues2cruise]

Some work has started on my house. The drying and heating and dehumidifying has begun. It's actually warm in the house now. It will take another 2 weeks for this part of the process.

Apparently some critter has decided to move into the crawlspace. The fellow working there is trying to find a way to make it go away. He has put a big heater down there now to try to thaw underneath to get it cleaned out.

And, my bike is still stuck in the frozen mud.

[pchast]

Progress is good.
slow or not...

I hope there is continued Progress.

Any thaws headed that way?
A chance to move and clean the Bike?

[NorthernPete]

That’s shitty for your insurance to not cover you. They’re always trying to find ways to not pay out. But lord forbid you’re late on paying them.

[blues2cruise]

Progress is good.
slow or not...

I hope there is continued Progress.

Any thaws headed that way?
A chance to move and clean the Bike?

The top of the mud is thawing. If the temperatures stay mild, I might be able to dig it out next week. I'll bring a long board to wheel it onto. I hope it's cleanable and I don't have to do any repairs.

[blues2cruise]

That’s shitty for your insurance to not cover you. They’re always trying to find ways to not pay out. But lord forbid you’re late on paying them.

Sad but true.