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Grizzy · Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:35 pm How can we help?

I for one would love to see if anyone on here has some good ideas on ways to help these folks that have had their lives wrecked by these terrible floods. Any ideas? Be more specific than saying "contribute to the Red Cross"........

Yes, that's a house floating down the Cowlitz river near Packwood yesterday.

Grizzy · Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:17 pm

Thanks for your ideas, I live in Kirkland, so I'll figure out where to head to over the next couple of days...any suggestions?

I have a truck and I plan on going there late Friday and Saturday/Sunday

Beargrass · Member Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 57 | TRs | Pics

tazz · Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:36 am

Photo credits go to. Lewis County Sheriff's Office, Shelley Matchett/Via the Associated Press

The shot was originally in the The News Tribune slide show. Many touching shots in the slide show.

jenjen · Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:05 pm

One immediate need for lots of folks in rural areas is help getting barns patched up and mucked out, and getting fences mended. Soaked hay needs to be removed from the barns before it molds and causes problems, and critters need shelter from the storms that will just keep on coming. The fences need mending where water has undermined them or just driven trees right through them. If you're at all handy, I guarantee your help would be welcomed.

We came through the storms basically unscathed up here, but the farms down south really got hammered.

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"nothing ever came of a life that was a simple one" Flogging Molly, from Devil's Dance Floor

Dave Workman · Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:26 am

As stunning as this may seem here in the Pac' Northwest, a lot of people neither own, nor know how to use, a chainsaw. This typically applies more to folks who have moved here from somewhere else. I keep mine sharp, gassed up and full of home-brewed bar oil all winter long; and fire it up for a couple of minutes now and then so the gas doesn't go sour.

It's actually very helpful where someone might have a tree down, or a couple washed up on his property or maybe blocking a road or driveway to buck up the tree and just get it out of the way so access (for aid cars, fire, police or just your neighbors) can be restored.

But PIB's suggestion is spot on. Only a good-hearted person would think of such a thing. (Perhaps that's why it didn't occur to me

)

And one other thing: if your neighbors are away, or got flooded out and you didn't, keep an eye on their homes and property. We've had a phenomenally nasty case of looting up here in North Bend that's been on television on KING 5 news, I think. Couple of guys drove through flood water in a 4X4 and emptied someone's house. Simply disgusting.

ree · Member Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Posts: 3118 | TRs | Pics

salish · Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:43 am

I'm heading down south today to help a friend sandbag on his place near the Green. It feels really good to be able to help.

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Our songs come from those mountains. Our dreams, our hopes are taken there in the hope that we will get guidance and support from wilderness.
—Tony Incashola, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Dave Workman · Sat Nov 11, 2006 1:32 pm

Grizzy · Sat Nov 11, 2006 3:04 pm

David · Member Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 161 | TRs | Pics

this is a bit off topic, but worth asking.

I used to live in a place that was 10,000 + square feet and totally heated by two wood fired guns. spend much time splitting logs, but never cutting them due to the fact that I'd never been trained to use a chainsaw.

So, here's the question: how can one get trained to use one of them? they are useful tools, but bloody dangerous to use. Do they have clinics on this? (and yes, I'm really showing the fact that I grew up in mid town manhattan and didn't have a driver's license till almost 30.

thanks - David