In the wake of a flood

Relatively speaking, we've been quite lucky this week. All around us are reminders that it could have been so much worse. That it IS so much worse for people just a short distance from us.

There have certainly been disruptions in our regular schedule. Jeff worked something like 39 hours over a three day period. His parents, who had to evacuate their home, still have no indication of when they might be able to safely return, which means they just spent their fifth night with us.

But our basement is dry and the river continues to retreat.

Later today, we'll be loading up 13 garbage bags and some other large items (note the tent, and the shelves in the background), to dump at the Materials Recovery Center.

There's nothing like water in the basement to accentuate the smell left behind by a cat's liberal definition of her litter box's boundaries. We cleared a lot out and washed the rest with bleach. (AJ's observation: "it smells like a pool in here.)

But in other words, the flood forced us to clean what we should have cleaned awhile ago. Compare that to what was loaded in a pickup truck that passed me yesterday: a mud-stained washer, drier and other large appliances.

I've got nothing to complain about.

Yesterday morning, it again started to rain. Sydney looked outside and said in an almost sing-song voice, "Oh no, rain. Mom's gonna have to work in the basement again."

Yes, there will be memories. But no traumatic ones.

Remember the picture I shared of our backyard Wednesday?

Here it is Thursday. The kids are standing where the water had been just 24 hours earlier.

In addition to water in the basement, the storm also brought me some patio furniture (which has since been identified by my next door neighbor.)

It felt somehow wrong to be able to walk where water had been flowing just a day prior. Less lucky people further up the river were using large dumpsters to clear out their flooded homes. At the same time, in my backyard, the tall grass and weeds had already popped back up.

It looked almost like nothing out of the ordinary had just taken place. But on closer inspection, I can see a brown stain on the vegetation. Remnants left behind when the river level dropped. In the photo below, AJ is pointing to the farthest inland spot showing the brown muck, while the still-high Midway River flowed behind him.



Friday was the first chance for the kids to venture from our yard since the rain started Tuesday night. Let me just say, AJ might have a future as a reporter or perhaps a lawyer. As we drove out of Esko, I pointed out to him first a house that had flooded, followed by a street near his school that had collapsed. After taking it all in, my normally sensitive child excitedly announced, "I can't wait to see more destruction!"

Later in the afternoon, we observed what might turn out to be the most devastating damage from the flood of all: a nearly deserted beach in Canal Park. On an absolutely gorgeous day. At what should be the height of tourist season.

Selfishly, it was kind of nice to have the beach to ourselves, but this will be horrible for the local economy. A whole lot of jobs depend on a whole lot of tourists visiting between Grandma's Marathon (last weekend) and mid-August.

Yes, we had to step over a couple rows of debris that had washed up on the beach, but the agate hunter in me couldn't wait to take a closer look at the rocks that had come with the driftwood. And yes, the water was more brown than blue, but what sane person swims in Lake Superior's chilly waters this early in the season anyway?

I'm fascinated by this satellite photo of the Lake, shared by one of our news stations, showing just how much mud has been carried into and stirred up in the water following the storm.

There's so much hardship around us. Everyone has a story. It's how those stories end that define us as victims or survivors.

I, for one, hope to continue our return to normalcy. I plan to go running later today. And then I'll take a glorious shower in our downstairs bathroom.

Why is the part about a shower worth noting? This flood has taught me things and revealed an unexpected benefit. With my in-laws sleeping in our room, I finally used the shower that we installed several years ago. And guess what? It's awesome! Incredible water pressure, practically instantly hot water. And no interruptions from kids.

It's heaven! Too bad it took a bit of hell and high water to realize it.