Another Year

Well as with a lot of blogs I've read I have a blind spot in mine als from either a super busy schedule or just plain lazyness, you figure it out. It has been a long year but I will try to give you a brief overview.

Went to Mayo Clinic in March I think. I had a terrible winter with my asthma and Sherrie finally got upset and got me an appointment in Rochster. Seems I was on the wrong meds. It said on the lable "Do not give to anyone with adverse pulmonary symptoms as it may cause death." That is the label they cover up with the prescriptio label. Anyway Mayo said they were suprized I even made it there and recognized the problem immediately. I recovered.

Next was the horrendous flood in Minot and surrounding area. 12000 people evacuated and 4000 homes (and business) inundated. I worked in the Flood Recovery Control Center for about three months untill the plaster dust and mold spores took thier toll on my asthma. Our town was literally cut in two and for months there was just on street across town. It was a 2 hour trip for a 20 block trip from north to south or back. I was amazed at how courteous drivers became. And you can still see the effects of it today when you drive across town. Almost everyone I know had evacuees living with them and you could hardly find a parking place on the street in the residential area (that wasn't flooded) because all the garages were full of evacuated furniture.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Humanitarian Dept was here in place immediately when the first homes were free of receeding water. The church Cultural Hall and Relief Society Room was turned into Tool Room Central for the work crews and the RS Room as the Control Center. Food and water was brought in by the truck loads and distributed. The church yard was covered with tents of volunteers that came from all over the country and Canada to help in the recovery efforts. The "Helping Hand" yellow shirts of the church were instrumental in gutting out nearly 700 houses between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We had nearly 300 out of town volunteers over Labor Day weekend. Since that time FEMA has been setting up trailers (about 2500 so far) and getting them winterized. So we are beginning to get back to some semblance of normal.

This winter is rediculas, however probably a blessing for thos who are displaced from thier homes. We have had literally no snow this year (maybe a couple of inches) with none on the ground at the present time and temps have been between 20 and 50 degrees. So much for the terrible ND winters. Read my blog this time last year.

The holidays are past and everyone is back to work or school and the year goes on. INcidently my computer crashed and I lost all my flood photos.

Isn't this ironic? My last post shows me digging out my Chrylser in between almost an all winter snow storm during Feb 2010. Toomorrow starts Feb 2011 and that car in the photo is my Chrysler. No, it hasn't been that way since last year alothough it seems like it could have been. We have over 40" of snow this winter so far and that is way above average as was last year. Our snow is down to about 28" in the yard......a week ago it was at about 32" but we have had a week of balmy 20-30 degree temps and you could actually see the level of the snow going down. It doesn't melt it just packs in tighter when it warms up like that. Makes better snow caves and igloos.

Haven't been out much this winter. I"m in my second year diagnosed with COPD and it has really advanced this past seven months. Started when I was in EauClaire WI in June and has only gotten worst since the cold weather. Will go to Mayo Clinic the first of March to let them have a look at it. All I have to do is survive until then. Actually it is better when I don't go out in the cold so I have been tied to the house for about five weeks now. Summer is just around the corner though and I really get a lot done staying at home. See ya later hopefully in less than a year.

More of the same

I got up this morning and looked out the window and we had gotten just a dusting of new white snow. There were no tracks or anyting in the snow and it sparkled as the sun hit it. Every weekend since Christmas we have gotten 2-4 inches of new snow plus some in between but evey thing has stayed white and clean for more than a month now and with little wind it has been beautiful even with single to double digit temps. The snow has been 3 to 4 feet deep every where since before Christmas and it seems strange to see so much snow and so much nice weather. Of course I know that is going to mean flood water in 4-6 weeks for some folks and that is sad.

It is really neat to drive out on the prairie. Normally there are bare spots in the snow that the wind blows clear and the stubble in the fields stick up through the snow and otherwise break up the beauty of the snow. This year with so much lying on the ground there are no bare spots and it is too deep for the stubble to show through. It is just a vast expanse of unbroken white. Excellent for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. I love the pureity of it all.

Winter is Still Here

Yesterday I got up at 8:30, it was my day off, and was going to go get a haircut. I got all ready to go and opened the drapes and was suprized to find that I could not see the house across the street because of the snow and 35mph winds. A virtual blizzard although not as bad as December's. I closed the drapes, took off my coat, undressed, and got back in bed with my wife. (her day off also) You can say what you want to about winter but it dosen't get any better than that. We got up about eleven had something to eat, went down to the family room and our dual recliners and watched a video together. Finished that and did some things around the house, went down put in another video watched that, then Sherry went up and fixed Spegetti and meat sauce. We took it down to the family room and watched the news and Bill O'Reily. Then we went to bed. What a great day, Sherry and I spent the whole day together with no goal other than to enjoy it. What a great day. Especially when you realize that I seldom watch videos and Sherry loves them so we seldom watch them together. It was a tremendous day though and so I am very thankful for it. Today the Sun is shining it is 9 degrees and it is beautiful.

Just a little winter sneaking in before Christmas

Seventeen below zero last night with -28 windchill. Dosn't bother me. When it gets that cold I just stay in the house where it is warm. There is a big pot of potato soup on the stove and the family room downstairs is nice and cozy, and the potato soup is scrumptous. I'll keep it warm for you, with lots of cracker, butter and jelly. Perhaps a little warm pin cherry juice also.

Once again, Tis the Season, down on the farm.

Once again it is the season that everyone looks

forward to all year. Snow is on the ground, fresh fluffy and beautiful. Crowds are gathering in the stores and music is playing everywhere. Which brings me to a point, I went to the grocery today and up near the front was a lady at a fairly large keyboard, playing beautiful piano music. Some semi classical and some yes, Christmas music. It was awesome and what an atmosphere it created in the store. Even though it was crowded people were being courteous and thoughtful of others. That brings my thought also to the fact that I was at the Mall and it also was crowded but the atmosphere semed light and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Maybe there is somoe hope for this crazy world after all. One wonders...listening to the news.

The photos are from last year at Christmas time, The Christmas card was shot through our kitchen window into the back yard. The snow was three to six feet deep over our whole yard
it was really awesome everything was so white. The other is a shot of "Sun Dogs" taken New Years Day 2009. When the weather gets so cold up here that the moisture in the atmosphere crystallizes, the sunlight refracting through the ice crystals creates a large colored circle around the sun with a sun dog on each side. It is really a remarkable sight when they are as pronounced as the are in the photo. We had sun dogs today but only slightly, not nearly as spectacular. It does remind you though that it is cold just in case you forget.

I love the music of this season. The Christmas Carols and especially the happy kids songs like "Santa Claus is Comming to Town", "Frosty" ,"Rudolf", and all the others. They are such happy songs that it can't help but raise your spirits. And we really should be in good spirits as we contemplate the real meaning of the season. We will never again get a gift so marvelous as the one the world received nearly 2000 years ago, with the birth of the Saviour. And He came to benefit all of us no matter what our current beliefs are. MERRY CHRISTMAS .................

My Beautiful Street