Coombs Lake

At the very end of the Foggy Week, we had a huge rainstorm blow in.  It was windy and rainy in the morning and sleeting/snowing in the afternoon, and then more rain.  The combination of just having a super cold week that froze the ground, and then the inches of rain we got in one day made a fairly good-sized lake in our backyard.  While we were making our patio and retaining walls last fall, everyone asked what we were doing for drainage, and if we were concerned.  We were not concerned at all, and thought it was the silliest question we'd every heard.  1. We live in a desert.  2. There's sand under those rocks. 3. When it does rain, it's always evaportated within minutes.  We angled the patio slightly down away from the doors, and toward the little planter areas in the corners.  We have never had a problem, even with all the snow--we just push it into the corners.  Well, even in that rainstorm drainage wasn't a problem...until the huge lake in our backyard started overflowing and poured down our retaining walls, and started filling up one of the planter corners.  Our drainage was fine...the builder's drainage was another thing all together!  When David got home from work he shoveled dirt to make a little dam, and that kept Coombs Lake at bay.   

The next day was sunny, and the boys were out playing.  The first day they came back inside with their snow boots dripping wet and muddy.  The next day they came back inside with their sneakers dripping wet and muddy.  After that, I decided it was worth investing in galoshes, even though huge rainstorms like this are few and far between.  I wasn't going to be washing a drying shoes, or sending the boys out in wet shoes to play everyday!  They--as well as all the neighbor kids--have been in their rubber boots on a daily basis, even after the lake dried up!

I sent this photo to the builders to see if they had plans for dumping more dirt in this lower area.  They came out the same day to inspect our "lake", and said if it becomes problematic they'd definitely dig a trench so it wouldn't drain down our basement area.

And just a few days later...they were back to building dirt sand castles and forts.