Our Own, Personal Johnstown Flood

The snow is visible on the higher mountains, patches of bright white. I was about 14years old when I saw my first snow covered peaks, the Cascades, when I traveled by car across the country with my parents and brother. It must be that snow on mountain tops is universally magical.

We are in Ahwahnee but not at Quail Cottage. We are staying with Paul and Madeleine, our friends nearby. On October 15th, 2008 (this past year)Quail flooded. A water hose beneath the kitchen sink blew and sent the contents of our well storage tank – all 2,200 gallons of it – into the house. We were there on vacation but had taken the afternoon to visit Yosemite Valley. On our return that evening we stepped into slosh.

The fortunate part about it was that we were there. There are times that weeks go by, even a month or two, when we don’t get over. So we didn’t have to deal with mold and all that awful stuff. We called the next morning and Allstate sent a fellow over with huge fans to dry the place, a “water mitigation” company. There were 14 fans, and they blew full force 24 hours a day for 3 days.

In the light of the next morning, and coming out of shock, we assessed the damage. It was extensive. We think the water reached a level of 1 to 2 feet, was soaked into and discolored the lower part of all the walls. The water company guy cut up the wall to wall carpet and under carpet and hauled it away in huge garbage bags, exposing the concrete slab underneath.

It was difficult to experience our little Quail Cottage in such disarray. We checked into the B & B about a quarter mile down the highway, and stayed with “Candy” for 3 nights. Luckily the insurance company reimbursed us for that, also.

When the insurance adjuster came after a few weeks he further damaged the walls by cutting into them (a standard practice). He assessed the damage and paid us on the spot. We also got to claim some of the furniture that sustained water damage as well.

Now we are in the midst of remodeling. We are using Jim, a local handyman and his electrician son, Tad, for the work. Since the building was being gutted anyway we decided to make some structural changes to improve the layout and rewire some really creative electric that somebody had invented. We are also moving the wood stove to a logical place in the corner instead of where it was -- at the entrance of the kitchen from the living room.

We are going to lay laminated wood floors throughout, to my great relief, as I particularly HATED the former carpeting. We have ordered all new white kitchen cabinets and the counter tops are a speckled beige and brown. The guys have torn out all the wood paneling and have replaced it with dry wall. We have put a slider in the wall of the living room and tomorrow a crew is coming to tear out all the pyracantha on that side that blocks our view of the long Sierras.

We will have a new refrigerator and stove and a new vanity in the bathroom, new sinks and faucets and new light fixtures. Throughout we plan recessed lighting in the ceiling.

IT IS GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOTE: This story illustrates that there are silver linings to everything that happens. Thus, my blog name of Positively Nancy.