Katy, Thursday August 31, 2017, 8:30 PM

Perfect weather today!   Ann and I sat out on the back deck watching Robbie chase squirrels and doves.  

Robbie the Mighty Squirrel Hunter 

Robbie Rosco Dog McLain

Owen

Neal, photographed by Owen

Sarah, Ann, and the boys play board games as Robbie snoozes.

Robbie and Ann

Owen, Clint, Nathan

Sleepy Robbie

Sleepy kitties Ruby and Marble

Katy, Thursday August 31, 2017, 3:00 AM

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a busy day for us.  Ann and Sarah went shopping and came back with a pile of groceries purchased at H-E-B, our local supermarket chain.  They report that the meat department is just getting organized, and that many items are not in stock.  

Robbie, the boys, and I went for a walk limited to sidewalk only (I have difficulty walking on uneven surfaces so we stayed on sidewalk ... artifact of my titanium knee).

I went out looking for a new copy of the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for Texas ... I figured Academy would certainly stock it.  No such luck.  Academy doesn't even stock Texas state maps!  Counter guy says everybody uses GPS now.  Ok, fine.  But GPS doesn't work when numerous streets and closed due to flooding.

Clint went to work for a few hours ... first time his company has been open since Harvey hit.

Sarah's employer -- the Alley Theater -- is all but shut down due to flooding ... entire lower level, including one of the performance spaces, is flooded.  
https://www.alleytheatre.org/tropical-storm-harvey

Sarah prepared a wonderful dinner involving shrimp and pineapple. 

And we all watched a lot of television ... mostly hurricane coverage or kid cartoons.  Cable service package doesn't include MSNBC -- I miss Morning Joe!

Katy, Tuesday August 29, 2017, 7:00 PM

Some photos...

Owen and Ann, playing City Maze 

Nathan and Owen watching "educational" television

This must be educational!

Poor Robbie had to stay in his crate!

Dabney Manor Lane, Katy, Texas, August 29, late afternoon.
Katy escaped most of the flooding.
And by now it's all dried up except for the gutters.

Wind damage is much in evidence.

The playground at the clubhouse is still flooded.

Swimming pool looks normal.

High water mark

Back deck behind the house is still flooded.
But that doesn't affect Robbie's duties as resident squirrel monitor.

Clint, my son-in-law and the guy that fixes my computer whenever I screw it up.

Katy, Tuesday August 29, 2017, 1:00 PM

Well we made it to Katy yesterday.  We're now staying with our daughter Sarah and her family -- husband Clint, sons Nathan (8) and Owen (6), dog Pepper (a rescue from hurricane Katrina), and two cats (sisters Ruby and Marble).

Our trip from Brazoria to Katy took far longer than normal due to numerous roads closed due to flooding.  After several false starts, we managed to get over to SH-99 (modestly known as "The Grand Parkway"), headed north, crossed under I-10 with no problem, and got to Sarah's place ten minutes later.

Since then we've been keeping an eye on Houston TV stations for flood news (with several interruptions for kid cartoons).  News from southern Brazoria County is scant so we still don't know what's going on.  According to NOAA the big bulge in the Brazos river caused by upstream rainfall hasn't arrived in Brazoria yet.  When it hits we've been told that it will overflow and join overflow from the San Bernard to create a continuous river-to-river sheet of floodwater.   If that happens it will definitely hit our house.  

Here's NOAA's prediction for Richmond.  Whatever happens in Richmond will hit Brazoria a day or two later.

More photos coming soon.

Brazoria, Monday August 28, 2017, 8:30 AM

We're about to pack the car and head north.  How far we get is a mystery.

This is the last post on this blog until/unless I have access to another computer or buy an iPhone.

Over and out.

Brazoria, Monday August 28, 2017, 7:00 AM

We're going to have to evacuate.   County says both rivers --- the Brazos and the San Bernard --- will overflow creating a sheet of water from river-to-river.   We're now under a mandatory evac order:

• Brazoria County - County Judge Matt Sebesta has issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION for all residents living WEST of State Highway 288 and SOUTH of State Highway 6. Refer to attached map.
  An evacuation route has been established for State Highway 35 Westbound to Matagorda County to Northbound State Highway 71 reaching Interstate 10. Refer to map. THERE ARE NO OTHER EVACUATION ROUTES OUT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY. State Highway 35 WILL NOT be open indefinitely and will be unpassable with additional rains and river flooding. LEAVE NOW! Residents needing a place to go can shelter in Bell County. Self-Evacuation destination in Bell County will be the EXPO CENTER, 301 West Loop, Belton, Texas. Pets are welcome!

So that means we have to drive north on SH 36 to West Columbia before we can even get to to SH 35.  But no word on the status of SH 36.  

Brazoria, Sunday August 27, 2017, 4:00 PM

No rain since this morning and water in the yard is subsiding.   Hopefully it's flowing down the ditches into the Brazos River.

The Brazos is now 0.02 feet above historic crest and still rising.  If it keeps rising and overflows water may back up in the ditches.