Every place has some sort of natural disaster potential, be it earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, floods, the list is near endless. Here, we live near the Castle Mountain Fault, meaning that earthquakes are likely.

There was one tonight. A 6.1. It occurred at 11 p.m. I had just finished cleaning the upper quadrant animal pens and was standing in the kitchen addition doorway, looking in near disbelief at a very cluttered kitchen. Pete had made quiche for dinner and was in the process of baking and preparing to bake. Also, I had just finished milking the goat, and so there were pails and jars and a pitcher on the counter.

Bees working the dandelions

The house started shaking. My thought was the same as it was the last time we had an earthquake, which was – I want this to stop. It was intense, but brief. The one a few years ago seemed to go on and on and on. It stopped. I asked Pete if it was going to continue, and he said no. I wish I could be so self-assured. I didn’t ask him how he knew this. I simply accepted what he said.

I do suffer, as do most people, from earthquake PTSD. It’s inevitable. This is because an earthquake can occur at any time. There is no rhyme or reason. And it is no fun to be in the thick of it.

As it ended, I looked at Shadow who was next to us. This was her first earthquake, and quite obviously, it shook her up some. I then went upstairs and looked at Ryder who had stayed put on her bed. She was wide-eyed. Welcome home Swampy, I thought.

Yes, we are playing with fire here. The books in my bookcase would all go flying, like they did the last time if the quake was any stronger. So we do need (as we’ve been planning on doing for the past three years) to bungi them in place. Heck, we have wooden pegs on our kitchen cabinets and sink cabinet. What gives? The answer is that there is just too much to do here so this is not a priority, although as I am thinking, it should be. Pete, are you reading this? Go to it!

I also asked Pete if there might be any after shocks and he said no, at least not big ones. So far, he is right.

Will I lose sleep thinking about this? Yes.

Well, at least we are not in danger of being taken out by a Tsunami. This is because we live at a fairly high altitude, at the base of a mountain range. Thank dog for this and that.

I once lived across the road from a river, the Waccamaw. My one-story pine house, I thought, being on a knoll, would not be affected, should the water rise. I was wrong. The first time the Waccamaw flooded, the water came right up to my doorstep. The second time, it entered the house and ruined the floors.

The difference between floods and earthquakes is that you know when a flood is coming. Earthquakes, they are more insidious.

Next: 150, 5/31/21: The 1977 The Chinook