Sunday, January 18, 2009

The flood By Wade


When I was about 7 years old our family made a trip to Capitol Reef State park. in southern Utah. We thought it was famous because of a water fall that had a "water slide" in it, really just a groove in the rock worn smooth from a century of water pouring over it, we played in the pool at the bottom while the older boy's (Chad, Dyke and John Chamberlain) and the adults went down the slide. I hear there is more to the park but I don't remember more. After the day at the water slide we returned to the camp which was in an old apple orchard. our truck and camper was parked and the older boys had a tent set up close by. That night it began to rain and I remember being awoken because the older boys had pulled their tent inside the camper and had gone back outside. I got dressed and before walking out of the camper I looked out to see our truck standing in what appeared to be a river of water strolling by. The water felt knee high on my 7 year old body but was probably only a few inches deep. The excitement was intoxicating and Cody and I quickly caught up with the older boys running though the rain and water "helping people". Helping people consisted of chasing down a sleeping bag that was floating away or grabbing a tent floating lazily through the trees. One Tent we saw to save was floating toward a sink hole and was caught by John just as it started to sink into a vortex, a hole that seemed to be sucking the lazy water and twisting it into a torrent. The older boys Cody and I were standing around the vortex pulling with all of our might and losing. we finally let go and the tent shot out of the other side caught by the owner.
Mom says that the rain didn't stop until Chad and John went behind the camper and prayed the rain would stop, according to her as soon as Amen was said the rain stopped and the floods subsided. I don't remember that part but I do remember the fun of running through a river and saving the lives of a tent and a sleeping bag.

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