Flood at White Pines~good for ducks!

Last nights campfire broke up early due to a torrential storm, bringing 5 inches of rain in seven hours or so. Thunder, lightening, thumps and bumps went on all through the night making Addie's heart pitter-pat and her body tremble nonstop. (She's a little tired today!) We woke to some trees and loads of limbs down, picnic tables that moved, and a raging river instead of the two creeks in the park. Rangers were busy on the John Deere's gathering tables up, limbs, and scooping up mud and silt that remained on roads as the water slowly receded. The higher main road going up to the lodge is open~which is good since it's dinner theatre day and tour buses are full to capacity. The back emergency road, is open to where we are, the highest campground, Cedar Ridge. The picnic areas and shelters, all the fords, Sunny Crest Campground, and the group camps are all gated off because of the mud and water. More rain is expected the next two days. Wish we could send it to Indiana and Ohio where its badly needed.
Larry, a guy staying in a tent since the weekend, has been riding out the storms and drying out as best he can during the day. He came to our fire last night and filled us in on Illinois Trivia. Very interesting stuff, and, he too knows all the words to "Put another log on the fire," joining in with Phil and Jim as they sang, making Rose and I plug our ears and groan, "it must be a man thing!"