Today, the snow started coming down lightly here in Baxter, and the air temperature dropped a few degrees. The snow has stopped for now, and the kids are outside playing on the tire swing out back. We’re planning on night two of grilling with Mary’s new grill. But by tomorrow, an outdoor cooking session is likely to be impossible again. Winter does not want to go quietly. In fact, it’s likely a true spring will be fairly nonexistent.
It sounds like most of the hard-working people back in Fargo-Moorhead are viewing the oncoming blizzard as “the last big test” in terms of flooding hardship. We’re looking at a return by Thursday if the weather looks favorable. The last thing we want to do is risk icy roads on the way back to our flooded city.
This morning, Mary and I ventured out for more groceries. Food doesn’t last long in a house filled with eleven people, but we’re fairly proud of ourselves for having stretched it as long as we have. After feeding the kids lunch afterwards, we went to the Y. I had no problem using my FM Y card to gain entrance. It was nice to feel part of someone’s routine, even if not our own, exactly. I can tell the kids are starting to get restless, though, especially with Mary’s boys back in school. Sibling rivalry seems to be erupting more today.
One of my Fargo friends who remains in the trenches has provided another update (see below). Thanks for continuing to keep all the weary people in the Red River Valley in your prayers. I’ll also include a link to a UTube video flood tribute another Fargo friend sent (produced by a church friend of hers).
Peace to you always,
Peace Garden Mama
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Good evening, everyone……..
Well, things are looking good at the moment. The water that is up on the dike has been frozen all day, and minor seepage along all of the miles in our subdivision. We can see by the ice lines on the trees that the water level has dropped. It’ll be really tricky when the weather warms, things start to melt, and see how mushy the dikes become. The overland water went into the coulee/drain 27 (behind our house) quite a ways back (not sure exactly how far), and it crossed interstate and is headed into the Sheyenne River, which is awesome, because then it’s headed in a flood controlled drainage system. It should cause little damage to anyone with that route. What a great thing!
R and I went to Mass this morning, and afterwards we drove down interstate 29 a bit and the water is running, fast paced, across some of the rural roads and it is dangerous out there. Then we had a quiet afternoon, manning pumps, looking at the dikes, visiting with neighbors.
The massive clay dike on 32 street is daunting. There is one exit out of our subdivision now, and it is a dirt ramp over this massive clay wall. The clay makes the roads very slick and the mud is a mixture of clay and dirt, sticks to everything, is slippery and a mess. We are trying to watch water restrictions, so haven’t kept up much with laundry. I think at the end I’d like to just burn these muddy, dirty clothes and that’d be it.
I saw E today and she is so happy at her temporary home. K, the mom watching her, said that they are having so much fun that all the kids on the street want to come over and play. So, I think E will come through this unscathed. We talk to H a few times a day, and she is at a place about 20 miles north of Fargo. She’s having fun out 4-wheeling and goofing off.
For dinner tonight, some of the men said they were hungry for “real food” and asked R to cook. So, he made a pork tenderloin meal with side dishes and that was nice. We have not wanted for any food, but barbecues are losing their excitement. I laughed, because they did not ask me to cook, they knew who to come to!
I’m getting anxious for all us to be together again, but this is no place, yet, for children. It is calm, yet extremely dangerous and the situation could change at any moment. Our suitcases are packed, in our SUV, and we are ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
As some of you may have heard, we may be in for up to 8 inches of snow in the next few days, too. Wow, how strange that’ll be. Possibly a blizzard if the winds hit 35 mph. It is wet snow they say, but by the time it melts we’re supposed to have more run off, so they don’t think it should too much affect the water levels because of that. Hope so. Not so sure I want to find out!!
R is off on sump/dike patrol tonight with 2 neighbors. Their shift is midnight to 2 am.
Well, that’s about all for now that I can think of.
We are, again, extremely thankful for all of you, dear friends and family. We are thankful for our Faith, and are weirdly happy and healthy.
We hope that you are all well. Don’t worry about us; we have each other and the girls are safe. We are experiencing another interesting chapter in the life of the E’s, and we are so blessed.
May your days be happy, and your smiles warm. We are doing well. God Bless and Shalom…
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