Dirkmonster

Roughing it (not) at the Gracepointe camp-out

It's been 10 years since I last slept in a tent.  I remember why I wasn't in a rush to go campaign again.  Pre-kids, Lyn and I went camping in the middle of the summer and spent the night sweating and as the main course for every kind of bug in the woods.

But that was just a tactical error because there really is something spiritual about a campfire, hot dogs, smores, a tent, sleeping bags and an 8 year old son.  That's why, I imagine, the leaders of the men's ministry at Gracepointe Church in Franklin, TN held a father-son camp-out Friday night.  And this was the best way to get back into it, because this was anything but roughing it.  We were on the church property along side a creek and big firepit.  The indoor bathrooms were open.  The air is still cool at night.

This one night suburban adventure compelled me to acquire some gear.  A new tent, sleeping bag for Ross, air mattresses with battery powered pump for inflation and deflation and, of course, tiki torches with fuel that burns in different colors.  Add to that my standard tailgate set-up and we were better off than in a Super 8 Motel.

My friends Joel and his son Jacob plus Devin and his son Campbell joined us.  About 50 other fathers and sons pitched tents scattered around the field with the large fire pit at the center.  Before igniting the bonfire, our fearless leader Steven set up smaller piles of charcoal around the edge of the pit to roast hot dogs and marshmellows.  After dinner, the fire was lit and the kids broke out a couple cases of glow sticks. 

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CAMP-OUT PHOTO ALBUM

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Ross and a lot of the other boys ran and played hard until after 11pm.  The guys had a lot of laughs and tried not to be too concerned about the Lord of the Flies dynamic that was taking shape amongst the boys.  Finally we crashed in the tent.  Once we fell asleep, it was very very peaceful.

Roosters at a neighboring farm started making noise about 4.  It got light outside a couple hours later.  We got up, made coffee, fried up some bacon and broke down the tent.  Ross and I were back home before 9am.

The experience has me surfing State Parks web sites this morning looking for another opportunity to camp.  As summer approaches, this time around I am looking for camp sites at a higher elevation.

Good, good times.

The epic Nashville flood - One year later

How symbolic it is that we have a gray and rainy day one year after the greatest flood the Nashville, TN area's known history.

A year later, Nashville is remembering the deadly torrent of water and marking the progress of the recovery.

We were in the middle of it on May 1-2, 2010 and I was able to capture some images.  Here is a repost of what I saw a year ago:

Video of the May 1 flash flood near our home in Brentwood, TN:

 

Lyn escaped from the flash flood but had to abandon her car which was a total loss:

http://www.dirkmonster.com/2010/05/escape-flood-waters.html

The Tennessee Volunteer Army clean-up:

http://www.dirkmonster.com/2010/05/tennessee-volunteer-army.html

Tornadoes threaten Middle Tennessee every year and they can wreak every bit as much havoc.  But I will never regard heavy rain in the same way.  Water is perhaps the most destructive force of nature.

 

 

Facebook group helps find lost pets in Brentwood, TN

Use this Facebook group if you lost a pet in Brentwood, TN or you're willing to be on the look-out for a neighbor's lost animal.

Imagine if every pet owner in Brentwood joined this group on Facebook and followed @bwoodlostpets on Twitter.  The result would be a virtual network that will help find lost pets in our community.

• Join the group on Facebook.
• Watch your wall for lost pet information.
• Use the group to respond with possible lost pet sightings/recoveries.
• Post information and pictures if your pet is missing from the Brentwood, TN area.
• Share a lost pet story. 

I know pet owners are willing to look out for each other because they understand these animals are family members.  Our neighbor Sandy found our old dog Josie several miles away after spreading the word and following clues.  Of course, there's no way to fully repay her for that selfless act of kindness.  But she said she did it because she knows we would help if it was her dog that was missing.

So the idea for this lost pet network for our community came because I had to do something to try and help another neighbor who is going through that horrible experience.  I know there can be happy endings, but it depends on being able to spread the word quickly and coomunicate.  That's how you find the person who may have seen the missing pet, and that gives your search direction.  We used signs of course, and they are so valuable.  But what if a "virtual sign" could reach people all over the area with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks?

Folks in the Brentwood area, are you willing to help? If so, please join the Lost Pets - Brentwood group on Facebook.  Please follow @bwoodlostpets on Twitter.  Someday it could really pay off.

An angel for a neighbor brings Josie home

Our dog Josie is back home this afternoon thanks to our neighbor who selflessly tracked her down for hours Thursday.

Josie had slipped out an open gate late Wednesday night and was gone through the morning and early afternoon.  But our neighbor and other friends were on the lookout.  It was Sandy, though, that tracked her for hours, gathering clues on the way.  She caught Josie's trail this morning after finding some walkers that thought they saw her headed away from the house.  She flagged down a guy on a tractor cleaning up after the flood.  Ultimately, Sandy found Josie about three miles away down a long farm driveway in a field with some donkeys.  I am convinced God guided Sandy to find Josie and bring her home.  Needless to say, we are overflowing with gratitude. 

Though this experience was torture while it lasted, I have to say that everyone we came in contact with wanted to help.  Once again, strangers wanting to help a stranger...find a dog.  I even made new friends on Facebook and Twitter today who helped spread the word.  There must be no better place to live than Middle Tennessee.

So thank you neighbors near and far, who were on the lookout, who were concerned, who said a prayer. Our old dog is home and no worse for wear.  If she ever tells us what she was up to, I'll be sure and publish it here.

Brentwood neighbors, help find our dog Josie. Please RT

Our beloved old dog Josie disappeared from our back yard sometime Wednesday night.  She might have gotten out an open gate.

 

We live on Amethyst Ln in the Woodlands at Copperstone neighborhood in east Brentwood.  If you have seen her, please email or call me at 615-260-7798.  If you have lots of friends/neighbors in Brentwood, please post this on your FB page.

Sun is welcome in Tennessee after Great Flood of 2010

The disaster is by no means over, even if the rain has thankfully stopped.  The sun finally shines bright over Middle Tennessee this morning.

Thousands of people are still trapped in flooded homes waiting to be rescued or for the water to recede.  The Cumberland river is about 25 feet over its banks and has flooded parts of downtown Nashville.  The Cumberland has also flooded the Opryland Hotel - one of the biggest hotels in the country.  Guests were evacuated late last night to a nearby high school. 

The Harpeth river, which feeds into the Cumberland, has flooded places like Bellevue where we used to live.  Further west the Harpeth flooded Kingston Springs and Pegram.  In that area, Interstate 40 is closed in both directions for about 40 miles.  Hundreds of motorists spent yesterday and last night trapped on the Interstate.

At least 11 people died in this flood.  Many of those were trapped in cars and drowned.  Over 15 inches of rain fell in about a 24 hour period Saturday and Sunday. 

Don't ever do this in a flood

I will never drive through flood waters again.  I learned this lesson yesterday afternoon, as the flood disaster in Middle Tennessee burst upon us.

All the routes were blocked off between me and home and the final path was over a bridge over Owl Creek.  Owl Creek was already running over the bridge.  So, with my 7 year old and 5 year old in the back of my SUV, I gunned it.  For a couple terrifying seconds, I felt the truck rock and start to go sideways.  Then the tires were back on the ground and we were on the other side.  My friend snapped a picture as we crossed.

I've been watching news coverage ever since and seen what very easily could have happened to us.  Several people have died in their cars under similar circumstances.  I'm embarrassed at my impulsive stupidity.  So I only hope this helps someone else to "turn around and don't drown".

Ross reports from the Brentwood flood

Ross has been watching NewsChannel 5's coverage of the massive flood of 2010 all weekend.  The rain finally let up a bit, so we ventured out and he filed this report from Concord Pass in Brentwood, TN:

Middle Tennessee braces for day 2 of dangerous storms

When church services are canceled in the buckle of the Bible Belt, you know it's bad.  That's the case this morning as public officials and pastors agreed, it's just too dangerous to be out in Williamson County, TN.  Here's what Pastor Stan Mitchell, of Gracepointe Church in hard hit Franklin TN announced early this morning:

Stay home and take care of yourselves this morning.  Of course we're
always loath to cancel church services but obviously that is the
prudent thing to do today.  After speaking to the Sheriff's and Police
Departments this morning we feel we have no choice but to make sure
our people stay off the roads and out of harm's way.

Hopefully, this next wave of storms will not produce any more
significant damage or, perish the thought, deaths.  To aid that hope,
keep the weather man on in your house through the morning and be
smart.

Just as this went out, a severe storm cell passed through Franklin and Brentwood.  I took some video as it passed south of our house:

This frontal system is stalled over Tennessee for the rest of the day.  So even as yesterday's shocking damage and loss of life is dealt with, more danger is on the horizon.

Lyn's escape from the flood waters

Lyn was attempting to get home this afternoon as flash flood waters started crossing the roads in all directions.  So quickly, there was no escape. Finally, the water swept her large sedan off Concord Rd. in Brentwood, TN and into the ditch.  The car stalled out, all the power went out.  She could not roll down the window but was able to get the door open and bail out of the car into the road.  A friend's car was right there and she jumped in and was able to escape.

The flood waters receded in the last couple hours and we were able to go salvage her belongings from the car.  Here are the pictures:

 

At the time this happened, the water was up to her knees.

 

We are grateful the only thing we have to deal with is property damage.  Sadly, a motorist drown on Interstate 24 in Nashville this afternoon after being trapped in a car.