Receding flood waters and lots of hard work from the Natural Resources crew that Champ works with, and the maintenance staff the past week allowed us all to move back into our Village today. We had some downright crazy weather here yesterday! About 3PM a massive tornado outbreak began that went on for several hours in Iowa. Numerous towns took direct hits including downtown Marshalltown who lost their century old clock tower on the courthouse. Yes, I mean lost, the tornado picked it right off the building and dropped in elsewhere. A major manufacturer in Pella took a direct hit as well during production hours. Miraculously know one was killed. Until yesterday I had not seen a tornado in my lifetime. I saw several yesterday in the distance as we were headed to Altoona to pick up Hunter and Isaac. We were contacted by many friends around the country who told us we made the national news that evening. We were in a sort of donut hole. Tornadoes touched down all around us. Where we were the sun shone, no rain fell and the winds stayed relatively calm.
Since buying the motor home the grand kids have all been intrigued with the driving compartment. We thought it would be fun to go get the boys since they are close and let them ride with us the 10 miles around the lake between campgrounds when we moved today. The plan was keep them overnight to spend some time with them and let them move with us. Isaac was not a fan of coming with us. Having just arriving home from daycare and not seeing his mom yet, who was still at work he wanted to stay home. Hunter thought it sounded like a good idea, so we got some one on one time with him and he got all kinds of new adventures.
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Hunter leaving on his first motorcycle ride.[/caption]Not only did he get to help pack up the motorhome and ride in it with grandpa when we moved. He also got his first real motorcycle ride! Champ used to ride around the acreage with him when we was a baby, perched on the gas tank, but this was a real ride on the back with his helmet on and out on the road. He got the full affect of the joy of being on a motorcycle and the unobstructed view of the lake as they road across the mile-long bridge. He’s hooked!
We’re all set up, but in another site with better shade. A good thing since our AC is still waiting on a part and running in low capacity. The evidence is still quite present that this was underwater a week ago. The flood line behind the motorhome tells a story. There is still some debris between sites. This new site is the first one in from the tree line that separates the village from the road that leads to the boat ramp and beach. You can see the road through the trees, except now it is littered with dead trees, deposited by the flood waters and left behind as it receded. It will take several days of heavy equipment and dump trucks to haul it all away and either munch it up or pile it to burn. It won’t happen any time soon, the water is still up the road way and probably 15 feet deep on the parking lot. Barring any heavy rain up north, it will be several weeks before the water is back to normal conservation pool again. It doesn’t smell as bad as I thought it would. Mostly, it smells like dirt, not the rotting vegetation smell I anticipated. A few good rains and a couple of rounds of mowing and you’ll never know it flooded here. The wild animals will have the toughest adjustment since the humans have invaded their shrunken habitat once again. I feel bad for them. They are really struggling to find food and shelter. The road way is strewn with animals that did not make it across and probably would not have been near the road had their home not flooded.
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The cats were not thrilled when they realized we were moving again, yet when we arrived back here they seemed to know where they were. I brought them out on their lines, they looked around and walked to the back of the pad where they are normally tethered and laid down on the hill. As if to say, “yep, we're back home again.”
With any luck we can now get back to some normalcy with our summer. There are three birthdays and the second wedding of the summer coming soon. We’re looking forward to lots of family time with the kids and more fun events. It’s been an chaotic year so far. At least there have been no real catastrophes, just a few bumps, a couple of floods and an emergency surgery. One thing is for sure, it hasn’t been boring!
Until tomorrow...
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