If you are like me, you were jumping for joy, possibly even doing cartwheels, when the rain started coming down on Tuesday. Grand Junction has been taking a beating lately with record-setting heat, and as a result, the rain was a dream come true. Unfortunately, it did create one problem.

For the first time in a month, I was able to drive home without losing three pounds due to the heat. In addition, the shrubs and plants in my yard finally received a well-deserved break. The street in front of my house, though, wasn't so fortunate.

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Pardon The Mess

Have you ever stood by and watched as you and your neighbors' yards washed down the street? I live in hills on the outskirts of town. Our neighborhood requires "natural terrain" for our yards. In my opinion, that's fantastic about 99.99999999999% of the time.

Tuesday's rain was heavy enough to take our yards on a little getaway. It even took my trashcan for a field trip.

Never Witnessed This Before

I've lived in Orchard Mesa since 1983, and in that time, have seen a number of good rainfalls. There have been a few comparable to what we experienced Tuesday. A handful have been worse. Never before, though, has a rain carried away our yards.

It's hard to tell, but that is a paved street and gutter you're looking at. I didn't measure, but at a glance, it would be safe to say there is roughly four inches of much covering the street.

Street in Front of Waylon's House After Rain July 2021
Waylon Jordan
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Not The End Of The World

Obviously, this is nothing compared to the conditions Nashville experienced years ago during their flood. A friend of mine lives along the Duck River west of Nashville, and he and his entire town had to be airlifted to safety.

Not a Tragedy, Just Weird

I was still in town at the studio, pretending to work, when the rain hit. I have no idea how heavy the rain fell in the Orchard Mesa area. Between the hard earth and the rapid rate of rainfall, it really did a number.

Grateful For The Rain

I have a shovel. When properly motivated, I've even been known to fire up a wheel barrel. The mud situation will soon be resolved. While I'm slowly gaining ground, literally, there will be residual "cleanup" work to be performed. I've put in a request to get a street sweeper for the final detailing.

Even with MudFest 2021 occupying the street in my neighborhood, the rain was a blessing. While the National Weather Service isn't suggesting more rain will appear anytime soon, another heavy rain would be nice. Perhaps the same volume of rain distributed over a slightly longer time period.

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