THE SAND FAIRY CONTINUES

Old Trunks had hoped by now, Fargo, ND would be back to normal and all the hype about the flood and its waters would be down stream, or is that up stream with a river which runs north. Alas, it is not, sand bagging continues in the Fargodome parking lot as they cleaned the interior at the price of $400,000. Sister city Moorhead continues to sand bag also.

The newspaper comment section included just why the NWS, (National Weather Service) came up with the high level of flooding as we approach the second crest. Another article stated the NWS was like a monkey playing Wheel of Fortune.

Trying to wait on a second crest is difficult. One doesn't know if starting on a big project which takes lots of books, pictures, and the like should really be brought to the main level to work on. What a little thing.

Let's consider just what is going on around the state. Let's look beyond the city into the country and the condition of the roads which are really in terrible shape. Lots of wash outs. Lot's of people around the state have lost stock, will loose planting time which don't get the press like Fargo/Moorhead has even if the fields are contoured to drain to ditches to ditches to ditches.

I have been listening to talk radio the last few days, something I haven't done for well over four decades. I needed to get the value of what the opinion of others are. It isn't that I have to agree; it does however, shoot new opinions beyond what is available to read in the local newspaper(s). Many callers think North Dakota should be opened up for hunting in more areas and charge the hunters. Someone else thought the price of car tags could be raised. It is certain the people in western North Dakota do not want their taxes raised to support the expense of the damage by the Red River of the North.

I can hear my grandfather, once a member of the school board, saying, "I shouldn't have to pay for schools, my kids are grown." I suppose if it doesn't directly affect you, it is human nature not to want to support the project. Maybe we should pick up Fargo/Moorhead and MOVE them? To where? Well, someone suggested it.

Through all of this, we have looked at maps, images, and Google Earth to learn just what we are in elevation. We had been told we were 'high'. We were safe. The bottom of the river is 861.08 feet. We are 901 feet. That is only 39.92 feet. The mayor's house is the same as ours.

Tom found a site with a 500 year flood plan. The back half of the garage is under water in the proposal. We don't know when that was done but he added fill back there years ago and the area where the slab for the garage sits was also filled before the construction began. The yard was contoured to keep the water from flowing to the house. We are dry. When Brian and Michelle came for supper recently, Brian said they used to slop around in water.

We are not out of the woods. I hit a few days where I was really restless about it. I decided that if I could drive to Fargo with a Geo full of special possessions, I could walk away from here with a truck bed full and call it okay. I took pictures of the house inventory and hoped my dream patterns would change. They did. Now I am just annoyed at Mother Nature but know I can't mess with her.

So, let's get started on genealogy and off geology. As I write, the river is at nearly 32 feet, that is down eight feet but still fourteen feet above flood level.

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