early birthday and flooded carparks

Nice day today.  Did quite a bit of work this morning then the children went to the textile workshop to make some Christmas presents.  We found a nice recipe for some sweets we can make as presents too.  I made pumpkin soup for lunch which was nice.  Just after lunch 18yos arrived for a couple of days.  He has come to make an early birthday tea for me as he won't be here on my birthday.  He also brought me some flowers - I am so spoiled.  Just now I am sitting writing this while he lays the table nicely and makes my favourite meal.  Not often I get to sit down while tea is being prepared as usually I am making it!

When he arrived 18yos told us that there was a lot of flooding in the village.  We went and looked out of our second floor window to see that the river has burst it's banks and flooded into the car park and the paths around and all over the fields.  Rick went out for a run later and saw that the two footbridges and the road bridge over the river were closed, there were three cars submerged and some of the houses on the other side were flooded.  There are police everywhere and a "flood response unit" sitting in the square.  All the rain we have had, plus the water flooding into the river from the hills was just too much.  All very dramatic.  7yos and 11yod were sent home from orchestra early as only 8 children had arrived because of the flooding.  Some of the children at the school won't be able to get home at the moment because the flooding outside the village means access to some of the places in the hills is impossible.