I wrote a blog on Saturday morning as I sat out on my screened porch watching the rain pour down, I thought about Ethiopia as I had just finished one of my most favorite books yet “Cutting For Stone”; this wonderful read is set in Addis Abba, Ethiopia – Ethiopians believe Noah’s Ark is there in an Ethiopian Cave.

I wrote that I’d just spent the previous day with Marielle’s girls, and my heart was pulled upon as I watched her 8 year old – Ines, gather every image around, storing memories – they are moving away at the end of the month and she is sad about it; seeing myself in her someone who attempts to save time.

When people ask me what I collect I always answer nothing, I can’t stand wasted space or clutter, knick knacks drive me nuts.  What I realized on Saturday morning was that I am a collector – I gather time, place it in an image and store it in my mind & heart.  No wonder I don’t have a desire for outside items – my inner world is full.

Saturday afternoon Bella and I faced the elements needing to go out to pick up a gift for Ines first communion – to be held on Sunday morning.  We knew the rain was coming down hard and had been coming down since Friday night at an intense rate, however we hadn’t imagined what was to come.

At 4pm Lee called my cell and said “Come home, I need to head to the Ranch it’s flooding out there.”

I raced home but it was too late, they had closed all roads leading out of Nashville.

Lee was steady on the phone trying to help one of our young cowboys who was trapped in a hay loft, he’d gone to turn the live stock out so they could make it up into the hills – when he returned to the Cattle Company headquarters the water had risen 6ft, the Piney River was everywhere….

He sat in the hay loft for hours until a neighbor came in a boat, by now Saturday afternoon our buildings at the Cattle Company, equipment – which is a great amount we run a huge Cattle Ranch – had been swallowed.

The last phone call we received was that the water was up to the windows of our house……

We spent the evening glued to the TV watching the storms move through, listening with each rain drop what was happening; I awoke Sunday morning to the town sirens blasting through the windows.

I immediately turned to the TV, at this point Nashville the City was being SLAMMED with feverish flood waters and the parts of the Ranch and surrounding area were hit by a Tornado.

Now on the table was the other part of our Ranch – The Treatment and Eating Disorder Center that shares our land is full up with clients and they are our responsibility.  My husband is amazing, calm and cool he orchestrated everything taking into consideration everyone and everything – all along trapped in Nashville.

Luckily all of the client house’s have been spared and untouched.

What we didn’t KNOW was that Nashville was becoming an Island – surrounded by water.

Yesterday Lee made it to the Ranch…he is heart broken.

I thought about what I’d like to have saved a picture of Alphonso and I on my wedding day – I have NO copies, Bella’s antique bed that is about 150 years passed down through the family, our bed again beautiful and old and a photo taken on our honey moon in Oaxaca.

I am going to the Ranch now….