FOTO FRIDAY: PTSD OF FLOOD OF '07

FOTO FRIDAY: I don't live with a pessimist nor alarmist but when Natureman  navigated his way home Monday evening from a meeting in La Crosse during the terrible storm and commented on the road, he uttered the words, "It's really bad, I mean really bad," The flood of ' 07, a 1000 year flood came to mind. It was not a pretty picture to say the least

Here are some pics of our one mile road in '07 after 8 mudslides and a 100 trees down, we had no road.

That was bad, really bad. So who knew what we would awake to on Tuesday am.

It wasn't this bad on our road now in 2018. Yes, we have damage but not to this extent.  What was worse was Coon Creek. Its waters were so was much higher than '07 and caused much more destruction to everyone.

2018: Here's a neighbor's pic from Hwy 162 looking at our bridge on Tuesday of Coon Creek. We couldn't take it from our side as
our lower road was under water.

Photo by Becky L.

Water damage brings a myriad of issues. The waters receded back under the bridge in hours as this emptied on so many above and below us. Our township had rock down by early evening and this bridge was made passable. Unreal.

Do you have some flood photos to add? Send them my way and I'll be glad to include them. 

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was quite different:MORNING GLORY

YELLOW , THE COLOR OF THE DAY.

We got what we needed a break, a full sunshiny day with no rain. In fact, the air was crisp with cloudless blue skies. The game plan was to continue work on our one mile drive until the township could get to our street's bridge to the outside world. Reprieve came today  coated in yellow. 

Yep, that's me in a rut...

Natureman was out with his shovel after breakfast and chores working on the worst area of our road by 8:30 and by nine our only neighbor within a mile, Patrick was over with Ole Yeller, my nickname for his front end loader (translated bucket attachment.)

Natureman 'n Patrick deciding
strategy

After strategizing re: tackling of the deep ruts 'Ole Yeller got to work.

After a couple of hours the hair pin turn's once deep ruts slowly began to disappear.  

Truly unbelievable, like nothing had ever happened. 

The result was like a highway in my eyes. 

What a transformation!

Natureman took our tractor and blade down our one mile road working on other rough areas which are much better now but will still need a lot of gravel. Another hard rain would guarantee more loss of road... 

Lunchtime offered sustenance and a much needed break. After lunch the plan was to head over to Patrick's with the  tractor with me in the attached trailer with the chainsaw and extra gasoline to tackle the last largest downed tree on top of a mudslide across the dirt road. Lo and behold neighbor Shawn from the other side of the lane had already beat us there and didn't need help. He had his truck to pull limbs out of the mud. It's amazing and wonderful how country folk really come together to help each other in times of need. (Shawn's the same angel who snowplowed on his ATV one bad storm)

Upon returning home Natureman switched out the trailer with the blade again and went to grade some more.  When he didn't return after a couple of hours, I actually started worrying and headed down the road. A sight for sore eyes as I spotted him at the other end of the bridge with Dustin whose family's rock and excavating company has worked on our road too many times. Lepke Truck and Excavating were helping the township tackle this destruction. 

Since this pic (L)Wed am to what the site and sight was at 4 pm the same day...



Lo and behold, the creek was back to flowing just under the bridge and the township had already started delivering 5" breaker run and rip rap for the approach to the bridge where there was at least a 2 foot drop on both sides. As soon as the big dump truck returned and unloaded the rock, Dustin pushed the rock into place with his small 'yellow' bobcat.  

Natureman navigating the breaker run

A large pile of gravel ( rear of above pic)was also awaiting to top the rock.  The gravel was not the best as the best had gone to the railroad. Coon Creek had become a mile wide 5 miles south of us as it barreled across Hwy 35 destroying the train tracks. But we would take whatever we could get of the rock regardless of quality.

Two foot drop at north approach

south bridge approach awaiting rock

 Two other neighbors from the other side of the valley were also there watching the activity. 

The hard top was going to be just that a 'hard bumpy top'   but by day's end, it would be passable. Passable was AOK.




Halleluyah,we would be able to rejoin civilization once our last mudslide was moved.  Ole Yeller gave it all she had but blew a hydraulic hose that night. That mud slide spot has to be trespassed with care but it's also passable.

Once again I have to repeat the phrase, "It takes a village" and admit even though yellow is not my favorite color, Wednesday it became my favorite...  

Thank you Natureman, Patrick, Shawn, Dustin and our township for acting in such speed!

LOSS

The older one gets, the more loss one experiences.  The past month  has been filled with loss. Last night torrential downpours added to my tears and swept away parts of our road from one end of the Rainbow Valley while a swelling creek turned the opposite end into a raging river swallowing it. 

The rains will eventually stop, the water will recede and the soil will dry up as we await machinery like bulldozers and bobcats needed by many others.  

almost knee deep by first curve 

Tuesday morning was spent cutting and stacking the 3 downed trees vs 100+ back in the 1000 year flood of  '07.  The road also only had 4 mudslides vs 8  but the ruts were deeper some being waist deep. With a mile drive there's a lot that will need to be fixed.

Biggest slide

Impassable even by tractor

waist deep

Not being able to see the bridge nor the black top was worrisome because that would mean the approaches to both sides of the bridge would need to be rebuilt once the waters receded. But would the bridge even be there/ would it be compromised? Coon Creek had never been so high. The bridge was sighted on our neighbor's drone shot. 

Red arrows indicate bridge taken by neigbor's drone

Later in the day, their mailbox stood alone. Ours had washed away once again. This is its third trip down the creek and would it be retrieved a third time? It's just a thing. Gravel is just a thing.

We were lucky as throughout the day we heard about folks losing buildings, homes, businesses, farmland, livestock, their livelihood. We got off easy just being cut off to the outside world.

We have our health. 

This past month we have said goodbye to 3 friends- Marty, age 83,  Meredith 34, and then Monday I helped prepare my friend Roberta, 71, for her burial.  Loss comes in many forms but nothing can replace people...

GREAT RIVER FOLK

This past weekend marked the 43rd annual Great River Folk Festival and rain moved some events elsewhere but no matter what folks got some great music, a juried craft fair with traditional folk art demos, ethnic and traditional food, interactive children's activities, song swaps, a performance by the 12 finalist songwriters and a favorite, audience participation with both singing and dancing (Sue Hulsether, Prairie Smoke and Friends and the Winona International Dancers) 

The fest's newest project, the Great River Folk School exposes our area youth to folk instruments and their style. Their week long workshops culminated with public performances. Very cool indeed.

In Riverside Park 4 different tent stage areas with both local and national names on the weekend schedule performing: 

Pert Near Sandstone
Them Coulee Boys

Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers

Pat Ferguson
Dead Horses
Luke Callen
Willy Porter and Carmen Nickerson
Five Letter Word
The Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers      
Peter Mulvey 
Nathan Kilen
Pigtown Fling String Band
Laura Joy
Jordan Tice
Tom Draughton
Slash!
Andy Hughes
Erin Hussey 
Liz Rog
The Parrishes            
Nelson Magic

and for the kids:

Bluff Country Tale Spinners
Abby Lee
Michael Scott
Nick Langseth
The 3 Dads
Teri Holford

Look on youtube for many of these performers and you can get a sampling of the diversity and quality we heard from some very talented folk musicians.

Rain or shine, they all shared their love of the folk arts...

and for those of us who were lucky enough to hear them perform, we can only guarantee the future of the Great River Folk Festival by encouraging you all to tell your friends and come next year!

Laura Joy ( 2017 songwriter award winner) 

FOTO FRIDAY: MORNING GLORY

FOTO FRIDAY: Sometimes just the rising of the fog forecasts a glorious day ahead. We had such a day this week. Here was my view coming up onto the county highway from the End of the Rainbow Valley. 

I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of this Coulee region.

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was WHAT A GOOD MOTTO!

TBT:THE FIRST

This TBT is dedicated to the youngest in our family who will be having a really big birthday party this weekend. You see she has had a lot of firsts this year but will be celebrating another first, being one year old. 

What could be better than looking 35 years back to 1983 when her Mom, my daughter Lori, celebrated her first with her two uncles, Uncle Marty (l) and Uncle Keith (r), one from each side of our family. Both also happened to live in Chicago at the time.

Aha, now I know who are really responsible for her affinity for wine...  

So Happy 1st Birthday Tater Tot. Here's a toast to you : May you always be surrounded with family and friends on your birthday! 

And as I used to ask your Mommy, "You know what?" 
I'd always supply the answer even when she knew the answer,  she'd always respond, "What?" Then with a big smile on my face I'd say, " I love you very, very much..." 

70 SURPRISE

The August birthday that started way before its actually date had to have something unexpected. A special family dinner party to celebrate Natureman's entry into it's 7th decade needed a little extra. 

Besides some Twin City family members who came to celebrate 3 months after the Simchas Galore party, there was another surprise. This one was on the chocolate chip cake. 

Have any of you ever witnessed the Incredible Birthday Candle? Well, I discovered it at a toy store in Little Rock. It's a colored lotus flower when lit opens up displaying 14 lit candles on each petal rotating playing Happy Birthday. The 70 year old birthday boy's joy was priceless.

Here's my shortened version unfortunately without Natureman's expression.

Luckily nephew Leeor who was at the dinner table caught the event on his I-phone because it was half over after I lit the candle and grabbed my phone to video. So I'll attach his movie after he sends it to me. 

Besides the musical candle we were delighted to have Yefet's accordion and the group's singing to add to the celebration.

Happy Birthday Natureman, may good health continue to bless you bis ein und zwansig!

* Note: In addition to continuous playing of the candle's birthday song which needs a wire cut to discontinue it, to my surprise the sandalwood stick used to light the candle continues to burn even after you think you have extinguished it.  Oops one placemat ruined. Never a dull moment here in the End of the Rainbow Valley!

CLARO QUE SI

It must've been  a weak moment after returning from a week away down South. Was I so worn out after the delayed flight and week's activity that I wasn't thinking right? 

Well, folks it was doomed to have happened... I'm coming out of retirement as of next Monday when I will be back on the Viterbo campus alleviating the work of another department member by one class. Yep, it's a compressed accelerated 2 semesters of Spanish into1 class which will meet 3x/ week mid am. Let's see how the rust comes off in the weeks ahead.

Of course, there are clerical changes even if the buildings are the same. Although I have been employed on this campus before rules have changed and I must reapply with not only a resume and references but transcripts again as well. I guess if you live long enough change does happen as now most schools send computer transcripts and the U of Iowa doesn't even charge for this service.  Within 24 hours the registrar's office had my paperwork. Something was amiss with the Colorado application but hopefully this can be rectified shortly. They said my degree name didn't exist. Hmm, 'could have fooled me.

 If all the paperwork including the  background check are not completed before next Monday, a colleague must be in the classroom with me. Seriously.

Anyhoo, there's a classroom tech inservice Friday so only 3 more days before lesson plans occupy my brain space again. The class's text is Claro Que Si translated 'Of Course.' Of course, I couldn't stay out of the classroom forever...   

  

CORNY? YOU BET.

Did you know corn is better if you either soak it / steam hose it before you roast it?  According to the corn expert at our picnic table at Kornfest in Holmen the water makes for juicier roasted corn on the cob.

Who knew? 





But how can it be bad after it's been lathered in a vat of melted butter


         

                                      and salted? 

 Holmen's corn at Kornfest can't  be beat.



We also helped the Lions out by splitting a yummy chicken Q dinner. 

As they exclaim in the South,  "I was full as a tick."

Looking forward to next year's Kornfest already. 

Maybe that happens especially after the raccoons get all of one's corn...

FOTO FRIDAY: A GOOD MOTTO

FOTO FRIDAY finds me donning my newest t-shirt whose message had a hand, penmanship that is by my friend Sue with the designing help of her friend Catherine. 

I can attest penmanship is not my really my writer friend's forte but Catherine's diligence ensured Sue's repetition of writing the phrase over and over until  the best 'legible' example of each letter could be found. 

Sue doing is 'doing good' by taking the t-shirt sale proceeds of this motto on Zazzle and donating them to the La Crosse Public Education Foundation's Random Act of Kindness Fund. The motto  comes on a variety of styles.

Take a look on www.zazzle.com/kindness_store. 
* BTW they tend to run snug, so order at least one size larger!

Sue's dream is that every teacher gets one of these and its message becomes the theme for their classroom. In her words: "We should all work towards this so students, graduates, anyone should be kind and not awful to other humans." 

Today at the library an elderly man read my shirt aloud: Be a Kind Human and he added, "I try to be one." May we all try to be one.

TBT:YESTERYEAR SWIMSUITS.

TBT:  Scouring an old photo album of my Dad's I was taken back to the late 1920's with a visit to Coney Island. 'Loved seeing the men's one piece swimsuits of yesteryear...  

Here's my Dad who was born in 1925

and my Grandfather Murray...

Swimsuits used a lot more fabric back then, didn't they?

93 plus ONE TO GROW ON...

My Dad appreciated all your well wishes. Today the birthday boy kept his schedule and went to his senior swimming class where the 'girls 'had a small celebration in his honor.

Phone calls arrived throughout the day from grandchildren in Atlanta, Boston, Conway and San Francisco, family in Temple, Chaseburg and Little Rock. Friends from Indianapolis, NYC, etc... And then some 80+ well wishes on FaceBook. This 93 year old one was very happy celebrant.

Dinner was at one of his favorite places, The Riverfront Steak House which is known for their salad bar, huge baked potatoes and good quality steaks. Apparently Tuesday night it was also everyone else's favorite restaurant as the place was more packed than I've ever experienced. Although we had a table reservation, we must have waited a good hour for the freshly baked rolls and finally the food.  Wouldn't you know it was the birthday boy's steak which arrived rare vs medium and when it was redelivered he was trying to tell us it was burnt? We knew you couldn't judge a book by its cover and once he discovered its insides just right, disaster was avoided. Going out with this man is never easy as he was genuinely spoiled by our Mom...

Since Dad's mind was set on chocolate mousse for dessert  and the restaurant only had cheese cake, my brother and I had combined 2 chocolate mousse recipes the previous night. The remainder of our celebration was awaiting us at home. BTW Two thumbs up for the mousse.

Ollie the Gnome from Wisconsin'll be staying in
Little Rock

When someone close to you is in their 90's every birthday is special and his upcoming 'guide' spring fishing trip with my brother is greatly anticipated. It's always good to have something in the future to look forward to especially when you are 93.

Happy Birthday Young Man!

Here's to 93 and one to grow on.

FLAME EXTINGUISHED TOO SOON

Attending a shiva (Jewish ritual service during the mourning period) for a beautiful sister of 2 of my children's childhood friends was definitely not on my radar for this visit down South. 

But dear Meredith will not be celebrating her 35th birthday. 
After a sledding accident 8 years ago with prescription drugs to alleviate severe back pain, the path to addiction began, and ended with the use of heroin.  Her obituary shares the story of the demons which haunted this bright, beautiful registered nurse and the fight to conquer them. Rehab, relapses, more rehab and relapses. Meredith died of an overdose this past Wednesday.

Opioid addiction doesn't discriminate re: gender, age, religion, race nor social class. The most recent study I could find was from the American Society of Addiction Studies 2016 findings.

• Women are more likely to have chronic pain, be prescribed prescription pain relievers, be given higher doses, and use them for longer time periods than men. Women may become dependent on prescription pain relievers more quickly than men.
• 48,000 women died of prescription pain reliever overdoses between 1999 and 2010.
• Prescription pain reliever overdose deaths among women increased more than 400% from 1999 to 2010, compared to 237% among men.
• Heroin overdose deaths among women have tripled in the last few years. From 2010 through 2013, female heroin overdoses increased from 0.4 to 1.2 per 100,000."

I as many expectant Moms prayed for healthy babies with 10 toes and 10 fingers. We didn't foresee a world which might cut their gifts short nor extinguish a flame as bright as Meredith's. 

May Meredith's memory and the memory of way too many others be a blessing. We that knew you will miss you and send our love to all your family,  friends and community...

MALL ART

Not many folks think of going to a mall as a cultural art activity. My youngest brother shared North Park Center in Dallas for that very reason. 

Amidst high end stores a variety of 20th and 21st century art by renowned artists don the walkways allowing some 26 million mall visitors to enjoy art during a shopping experience.

If you find yourself at North Park, stop at the concierge for a complimentary map of the locales of the art installations. Below are some examples of the fine art we experienced on Saturday morning at a mall no less.

This Land is Your Land are three structures which are elevated water tanks standing next to each other. One needs to walk underneath them and look up inside the barrel where the light configuration is mirrored to create infinity. My favorite was the ladder that my brother pretended to climb.  

.

20 elements, 2004-200

I call this one soda addiction

Intermodal Elevation, 2015

Sustainable Flowers

Another popular one was by Kaws, the one I named 'Tired Kids and Parent shopper'  We know that's always the time to go home.  

After enjoying our loop around the art filled mall, I had the opportunity to go see where my brother and his family now live and spend a lovely afternoon with family. 

It was a great day in the big D.

FOTO FRIDAY: FUEL FOR THOUGHT

FOTO FRIDAY: It was a toss up this week being back home down South in Arkansas  between a brilliant pink sunset sky posting a black cloud storm or the havoc 50mph storm winds can cause with 100+ year old trees. 

The trees won. 

Have you noticed how storms seem more frequent and fierce than ever before?

When one sees these old southern trees downed, their size is mouth dropping. AND if they manage to split/fall without destroying the houses for which they have provided shade for many years even more impressive.

Driving by different neighborhoods there's proof of Mother Nature's work. Gee, she sure has a dramatic way of pruning...

Did you/ any neighbors lose any trees this year with these torrential storms?

If you missed last FOTO FRIDAY, here you go: QUESTIONING