Garden III: The Flood

As I laid to down to fall asleep I couldn't help but hear the heavy rain pour down on our apartment parking lot. Three thoughts started forming much like the needed rain clouds. "Yes! I may not have to work tomorrow." : you see, during this past summer I worked for mosquito control. When it rained we didn't have to work. "Yes! I don't have to water the garden tomorrow." and "NO! what if there is too much water and it ruins my newly planted vegetables." I had just planted new cucumbers, onions (not big onions, just the little green onions that you put in salads and on top of chinese food), and radishes.

The next day, the rain had stopped and I ended up having to work. Every swamp I trudged through that day had significantly increased in size because of the large rain fall. The whole time my thoughts kept drifting to my garden and what my new vegetables must have looked like.

As I arrived to the garden, my eyes were not prepared for the horror that they saw (So maybe that last line is a bit over dramatic, but bear with me I'm trying to build up some serious mental pictures). In all seriousness I did not expect to see as much damage that day. I had luck on my side when I choose my garden. My garden laid in the middle of the garden plots, close to the creek but not too close. The large amount of rain created a small flood in the garden plots of Hopkins, and killed many newly planted vegetables. As I looked from one side of the garden plots to the other, I saw faces of distraught people trying to rebuild what they worked so hard for. Some of these people used the vegetables for their lively hood. Selling them at the farmer's market and feeding their families. Almost everyone that had garden plots close to the creek had to restart and replant. I happened to be lucky because the flood water had made a path to the creek that only took out one corner of my garden. I only had to replant some of my vegetables.

I left the garden completely distraught that day. I also left with two thoughts, one completely insigificant and one significant. I insigificantly realized that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to gardening. I also realized how horrible it must have been to ever lose a family member, house, car or anything because of a flood. Trying to deal with loss and trying to think of things to prevent a situation that may not have been preventable. The small flood at my garden helped me realize how horrible it must have been for the people that went through Hurricane Katrina and the horrors that followed. I know there is hope, but that day in the garden I struggled to find any.

"The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'" Luke 8:24-25