Traveling with the Jenkins': Erin, Tennessee

We went to see David’s sister, Ruby and her husband Ray, today to see how their damage control was coming. Considering the damage that so many people around us have suffered, they truly are lucky. While most people’s water damage was due to flooding from the swollen rivers, theirs was actually from too much water in the ground and it was coming up into their basement. They had no other damage but the carpeting; but to dry out the carpeting meant all of the furniture had to be removed, then somehow get the water out of the carpet. Well, through having someone come out and professionally draw the water out and them doing their best on their own, it seems to have work. The next thing is to see if they have killed the mold…jury is still out on that issue. Other than exhaustion, they are doing rather well.

We decided that they had worked so hard, we needed to get them out of the house to get some lunch. We had lunch at a little barbecue place in Camden, TN, which is where I saw a sign for Paris Winery. What….a winery in Paris, TN??? NO WAY! Only 12 miles down the road….let’s go! There really was a winery in Paris, TN, and the owners are originally from California, so I had to taste their wines. It was so good that by the time I left, I had two bottles of their wine a bag;-)

Paris Winery, Paris, Tn

The vineyard at Paris Winery, TN (only about 5 years old)

After we left Ray and Ruby, we went to visit our friends in Erin. Erin, TN, had suffered so much damage from the flooding last weekend. Down from Mary Helen’s house is a little creek that has flowed through there for years and years and never, ever been out of its banks. One night last weekend while the rains were barreling down on Tennessee, that little creek started rising in the night. Mary Helen’s son, David and his wife, lives just a short walk from her house but on a little lower piece of land. Concerned, he looked outside, in the dark, and could see the waters creeping up on his property. At one point, he decided to try to make it to Mary Helen’s house, he decided to jump into the waters but quickly decided he had made the wrong decision…the water, up to his neck, was rushing much too fast and it was freezing cold! He made his way back into the house and decided to try to wait for the waters to recede. Fortunately, about another hour later, the waters receded to his waist and he made his way to his mother’s house with one little weiner dog under his arm. He left the dog with his mother, went back for his wife and other two weiner dogs. He is so lucky to be alive! Their modular home is totaled and his car was swept away about a ½ mile from their house. They did have flood insurance, but it only pays for the house, not the belongings inside and only for the remainder of the mortgage and nothing more. At least they do have that to count on, and we are thankful for that.

The destruction in Erin is severe, the people have been hurt terribly, but the spirit of the townspeople is strong. Everyone is helping everyone, offering to share their showers, their bedrooms, bringing food and offering anything they have to others. We watched people from another church and entirely different denomination at the church by our friends, taking pews outside, cleaning them and doing anything else they could do. Thank God for community spirit and the great peoples of Erin, TN.