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| Loving Memory |
See What Happens... 5.8, 6.0, 5.0 - Today weve had them all, and MORE. The children say its MY FAULT for tidying up!
So I got up today, early. It was my watering day, so I wanted to make the first watering as early as possible. It takes around an hour, and I had things to do...
So... Clean Up! Outside is looking much better, a huge pile to the dump, not once, but twice. The first load goes well. We are coming out and commenting as we get back into traffic that the skies are looking a bit jumbled, theres lots of different kinds of cloud, including those little odd skiffs... over there. Pointing, laughing. We start talking about how we havent had aftershocks. How the Refuse Station with its massive high concrete walls and roof would be horrible to be in ...
So the second load goes well.
Im out of the car, unloading... BANG and rocking. Its a big one. And the children are in their carseats in the car. Mr 11.5y gets on top of Miss 5. Its viscious.
I want to run, but cant, and get in trying to get them out. Nasty shock... We get in and collect ourselves.
Not nice. I just realise. I could so easily have lost them both. All of us. Gone. Nasty shock!
Not something I want to repeat, then as we gather ourselves, theres another one, and we just head on out of there... As we step off the weighbridge after paying the fee, and speed out... theres liquefaction. We look to Sumner, and there is a dust cloud.
Thank God Baz is driving, because I was still shaking. My heart was pounding for ages afterwards.
Theres a flurry of moving traffic. Pools of liquefaction oozing, some traffic lights not working, some that do. Theres water, and people with phones. And the people with phones are EVERYWHERE. You notice these things. We hear constant sirens. All day Sirens.
Down our side street, and its bumping and cracking and oozing again.
The new strengthened, fixed infrastructure is to be commended. It sustained.
Eighty minutes later, there is another one. (6.0)
We are standing in a friends drive, Im checking on her as I know her daughter is at work, so she is alone. We are talking, standing together.
It shakes violently as we are watching helicopters checking the bridge down on the corner that joins Avonside to Dallington. Violent shaking and we duck down, like we are in a prayer meeting, holding each other. It seems pointless, because we are powerless against that immense force, we get tossed around. We hold each other like we are in a Rugby Scrum.
We laugh nervously about the strength of the two of us, Strong Avonside Women. Gulp. Tested.
Weve had a number of strong shocks today. We roll with them, but its kind of like *Oh no, not again* ... A familiar stance is to clutch yourself and say Oh God, that was a good one.
Thank God we have power and water. We are blessed, life without power and water is so ... tiring.
Weve just been for a walk around the block. Burning off the adrenaline. My little ones are buzzing.
Today was one of *those* days - another landmark.
Tick.
Got through it.
For now, Im thinking about all those who are flooding, or who have *gone red* because of further damage to their homes or those, bless them, who really are at breaking point.
We may have got through it with homes in one piece, but honestly, who can evaluate the cracks on our stress levels, who can smooth the fear and make things ok?
It is telling on us all, and when I look at the little tired and serious faces in my bed tonight - Yeah, it tells on me too.
Be Strong Christchurch, and lets not live in fear, but in hope.
From this, we have to live stronger.
The choice is NOT to give in.
Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays
Blessings!
EARTH BUTTERFLYXXXXXXXXXXXX
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