Saturday April 16th, 2011 two significant storms moved through Front Royal. Neither produced tornadoes, unlike other parts of the storm system, but the rain was unlike anything I have ever experienced. At one point it looked like a waterfall with drops of water larger than a quarter. The river was already running high from several previous systems, and the creeks couldn’t keep up, resulting in flash floods worse than any local can remember. I know I have heard the term “flash flood” bandied about, but have never experienced it. Where once there was a street, it became a river in minutes, fields turned into ponds. Words cannot describe this event, so browse through these images from down town Front Royal.

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I have learned that certain things I loved as a kid I now dislike, but I’ve also noticed that many of these things are fun again when I experience them with my kids. Snow is certainly one of those things.

I use to love snow when I was young. We didn’t get many great snow storms in the places I grew up. Oklahoma City got the occasional 1-4 inches but that was all we needed to have fun all day long.  I would stay out in it until my clothes were sopping wet and my appendages were hurting. I would have probably played until a finger fell off or something but my parents dragged me in kicking and screaming. The waiting hot chocolate put a quick end to the fit but still, I was ready to go the second the beverage was gone.

When I was a teen my only joy in snow became getting out of school. This stayed with me for many years until I started getting called into work to shovel snow, even on the weekends. Thus my love of snow died until my children were old enough to love snow.

My oldest daughter is like me in many ways. She will stay in the snow all day if we let her, while her younger brother didn’t  even want to go out in it and her younger sister only stayed for a few minutes before being “too cold.”

Oh well, at least I had to drag one kid inside. Enjoy some pictures of our winter wonderland, my dog as he enjoys the snow, and my daughters.

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