It is raining here in Mount Vernon. The forecast calls for rain today and tomorrow and Wednesday. We might get a break from the rain on Thursday. There are some things about the rain that we have had to learn since we moved. One is that a rainy day usually doesn’t mean that it rains every minute of the day. When we see a break in the rain, we try to go for a walk, though we’ve also learned that we can go for a walk in the rain without any ill effects. On Saturday we walked in the rain and wind and with rain jackets and waterproof shoes returned home without getting too wet.

Yesterday we walked along the Skagit River in downtown Mount Vernon. The river is now flowing at 18 feet above what we assume is the low water mark. There is a scale marked on a bridge that shows the water level. It was at 13 feet a couple of weeks ago. Five feet higher and the river is a sight to see. There are trees and logs floating down the river and it spreads out as it rises, so it is quite a wide span of rushing water. We walk fairly quickly, but the logs were going faster than we walk. We estimated that the river is running about 5 mph on the surface. That’s a lot of water going by.

At 18 feet, city’s storm drains, at least in some places, begin to back up. You can tell this is a regular phenomenon around here because the city is full of catchment ponds. There is one a half block from our house. I suppose that those areas, which are normally just a kind of wetland, begin to fill with water as the river rises. We’ve been told that the river may reach flood stage by Friday. Flood stage is something that the city has anticipated. There is a massive flood wall through the city. The river would have to come up another 10 feet before it would get to the riverwalk where we were walking yesterday. After that, they put removable panels in the flood wall which rise another 12 feet or so. On the one hand, I would sort of like to see how the system works. On the other hand, I think that much water would be a real concern.

Our house is on a hill and way above where the river flows. We have no concerns about water in the house. Downtown is literally down from where we live and the area has experienced flooding in the past prompting the construction of the flood wall system.

There is already a lot of snow in the high country and the hope is that it will remain as snow and not add to the amount of water in the river. However the point where rain turns to snow varies by altitude and temperature and a blast of warm air from the coast can melt the snow in the foothills. Places that are prone to mudslides are under a watch as the moisture in the soil raises. The ground is fairly saturated here. There are plenty of places were is is squishy underfoot. It is a different sensation from the dry pine needles upon which we usually walked when we lived in the Black Hills. I’ve learned that wet leaves can make a slippery surface and one has to be careful when walking.

It is all a bit new to us. Forecasts call for 3 to 4 inches of rain per day some days. Three days of that would equal the annual rainfall in some of the places where we have lived.

On Saturday, I stopped at a supermarket that is not far from home. I don’t usually shop in that store, but it was convenient and on the way home from the farm. I just needed a dozen eggs and a half gallon of milk. As I walked across the parking lot, I saw a banner on the side of the store. The grocery store has a pharmacy and the banner said, in large letters “Free Flu Shots.” Then in smaller letters it said, “10% off.” I could tell that there wee other words on the sign, but I couldn’t read them from across the parking lot. It got me to thinking: How can you get 10% off of something that is free? I chuckled as I walked towards the store, realizing that the advertisement was working. I often ignore such things. After all I’ve already had my flu shot and I was stopping for only eggs and milk. I’m not prone to impulse purchases from the pharmacy when I’m heading for groceries. But I was determined to read all of the words on the sign.

What the sign said was, “Free Flu Shots with most insurance*” and “10% off your next grocery purchase with any vaccination.*” The asterisks were indicating a footnote that was even smaller at the bottom of the banner.

So the flu shots are not free. They are covered by most insurances, including medicare. The discount, however, could have some value. There are weeks when I spend more than $100 in the grocery store. If I hadn’t yet received my flu shot and I was planning a trip to stock up on groceries, I could see myself tempted to get the discount. I don’t know if the discount is helpful when it comes to getting the population vaccinated, but it probably doesn’t hurt.

With all that is going on in the world today, with all of the people who are grieving the loss of loved ones, with all of the uncertainty about elections and the future of democracy in our country, the water level in the Skagit River and the banners on the grocery store aren’t very significant in the scheme of things, but I’ve learned that little things occupy my mind quite a bit these days. I think it may be a sign that I am worrying less. I’ve grown comfortable with turning over some of the big concerns to others.

Maybe I’ll learn how to be retired after all.

Now I just have to figure out what time of day to go for my walk.