Rain, glorious rain

Rained on and off Sunday, yesterday, and hopefully today in Drayton Valley, Alberta.

In this age of immediate information there is so little useful information. After you sort through the garbage and check what passes for news no one is allowed to return Drayton Valley and the nearby fire is still out of control.

Yesterday I visited mom at her temporary residence and bought her some clothes. My sister and I thought she had enough clothes with her. She had less than we thought after being evacuated. She now has enough to get her through the next week.

This too shall pass.

Near Sundown

Near Sundown, Manitoba that is.

The name "Sundown" always reminds me of the song of the same by Gordon Lightfoot.  There was always a touch of melancholy in his voice that was just so captivating...

No longer a presence in the material world, his music will live on. Thank you Mister Lightfoot for enriching my life through song. 

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Sunday post

The last few days have been different.

My mother is in a retirement home in Wetaskiwin having been evacuated there from Drayton Valley. My sister lives just outside Calgary and she came up to visit mom yesterday for the day. She had mom stocked up with short term supplies to get her through the next few days.

My aunt was in a different retirement facility in Drayton Valley and she was evacuated to Edmonton. She is my favourite aunt and my only remaining aunt. The other three passed years ago.

My aunt has two children, one has a farm near Tomahawk and the other has a few acres new Evansburg. The area my Evansburg is under an evacuation order due to wildfires and my cousin and her husband have not left. Last I heard they have no power and staying to fight it out. Her brother from Tomahawk came to help them. I phoned her and told her that I would look in on her mom in Edmonton.

No matter who you are I never want to see anyone lose everything in a fire.

My aunt was put up in a new retirement facility about an hour travel time from where I live. So new it has not formally opened up yet. They opened it up to accommodate evacuees from Drayton Valley. I found my aunt in a room with just a hospital bed and a chair, no television, no radio. It was a tough visit. My aunt is eighty-five. She does not know who I am, did not recognize the names of her son and daughter, does not remember her sister who is my mother. It is awfully damn hard to see someone that I was close to deteriorate like this. I hope I live long enough and well enough to not suffer the same fate.

I hunted down some staff. They were still trying to bring themselves up to speed on the senior evacuees' case files. I explained my aunt's condition, asked them to provide a wheelchair as she cannot use a walker. On my way out I ran across the Recreation Coordinator and asked her to look in on my aunt and brought her up to speed as well.

I expect this to be temporary. There is some rain in the affected areas today with hopefully more on the way. I want everyone to be able to get home soon.

Further to previous

Visited mom in Wetaskiwin. I am very impressed with the staff in the retirement home. They moved about thirty residents from Drayton Valley to Wetaskiwin and everything looks to be set up and running smoothly. Staff from the Drayton Valley location are working at the Wetaskiwin location.

Mom is in good spirits and taking the interruption well. She thinks she is going back today. I had to explain that the evacuation is likely for a minimum of three days.

Unexpected events

Woke up early this morning grabbed a cup of coffee and got around to checking my phone. Nothing new.

Later on at 6:48am there was a voicemail which was odd since my phone did not ring. Checked my voicemail and found out the town of Drayton Valley, Alberta had been evacuated due to a wildfire southeast of the town. Over seven thousand people had to leave their homes. I think the evacuation order was issued after 11:00pm last night. I did not have any calls or alerts on my phone regarding the evacuation.

I was informed via voicemail that mom was evacuated from Drayton Valley and is in a retirement home safe and sound in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. This actually makes it easier to visit mom since she is closer to where I live.

It took me five attempts to get through to the residence in Wetaskiwin. Mom does not have a cell phone. About three or four years ago she and I mutually gave up trying to get her to use one that I paid for. I finally got through and asked them to get a message to her that I know where she is and will visit her today.

Thank you to the people that emailed me and asked how this.