The water level in Iowa City has been falling since Monday. By tomorrow, it should be down to the 1993 high water mark. I understand the President was here for a photo op today, but I didn't see anything (unless the big army helicopter was for him, and not flood relief).
Jeff and Faith are the hardest hit of our circle, I think, but Bree and Bill have postponed the wedding while they're relocated to Drew and Cinda's. When I talked to Jeff tonight, he said he figures the water topped off about 5 1/2 feet high in his house. He's rinsing and bleaching what he can, but most of it is just beyond salvage.
I worked shifts at the City's 'Flood Command Center' phones Saturday and Sunday. Saturday morning, things were really hopping -- there were four phone lines, and I think I was on one of them 95% of the time. The majority were people calling to volunteer -- from Iowa City, Solon, North Liberty, Pennsylvania and California. We also took calls from businesses and groups who needed more sand, bags, or volunteers. By Sunday, things were slower -- all the sandbagging was done, and a lot of the calls were about how to get to Chicago or to Cedar Rapids (the official answer was to take the detour through Des Moines).
I've become a bicycle commuter, and I get to pass a lot of cars on the way home. We've got I-80 and I-380 back, but Hwy 1 is still one of the few ways to get to them. The weather has been great for it this week, and it only takes me about 15 minutes each way. I'm getting fenders and a grocery bag put on tomorrow.
Marie likes the Hospice people well enough. Our staff has been trying to heal a couple of skin sores for a couple of weeks now, and Connie is getting pretty frustrated. Hospice sent over a wound specialist last Tuesday, and he thought that they were healing pretty well, but they still haven't gone away. She's comfortable enough, but her appetite is pretty sporadic, so low blood sugar is becoming more problematic. It feels like she's winding down.
Headwise, I'm mostly okay, although there are still days that I'm surprised by how much I miss dp. Progress seems to be more cyclical than linear, but it's progress nonetheless.
Let me know if you want a t-shirt...
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Receding Waters
Posted by
Kevin
at
8:09 PM
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Glad to hear you are doing, ok for the most part. I'm still planning on heading out next weekend, I assume it'll be much easier to get there by then. Are all the train tracks ok for Nancy to get there? I've done a little traveling with FEMA folks but they truly do know what they're doing and I have other work to do. Plenty of photo opps, carp swimming down Main Street in Janesville, I say shoot em. AJ and I are heading over to Palmyra sometime this weekend so he can clean out the second story gutters at mom and dad's. Mom says Pat used to do it, when he was about 10...times have changed. :)--- or maybe just us. we sure are thinking of all of you, but I know that's not good for much. Is Sam's house ok? Katie
The news on the trains changes daily since the flooding is making it's way downstream. As of yesterday Amtrak was planning to resume service on the 23rd. I'm still planning on coming out, even if some of the trip ends up being by bus. (That was not even an option for route into Iowa yesterday.)
I want a T-shirt!
Kevin:
What is the dp way to observe the solstice? I'm not sure I recovered from the last shot of tequila, and probably don't want to teach my girls that...
Glad to hear you are enjoying your bike, don't forget a helmet.
Love,
Else
Sam is high and dry. He had to get new sump pump in a hurry, but that's about it.
Outside of CFV and the stoopid toy party, dp really didn't drink, so no alcohol is required. Other than calling dd to wish her happy solstice (and wishing Trooley a happy birthday), there wasn't anything in particular. Probably gardening, but maybe dd can think of something else.
Janet tells me the County Treasurer will be back in his usual office next week, so transferring title should be no problem. I got the title transferred from dp's name to mine the day before they closed down.
Long time ago Diana and I would just take the day to lolligag in the sun appreciating the length of the lazy day and each other's company. More recently we have loved the streams and ponds we built in da woods, traded plants with various folk, and talked about how now this means the days are growing short again and before ya know it we'll be snowed in. Oy, how the seasons spin.
Here is some commentary on the summer solstice that pretty much sums it up for me (and perhaps Diana), written by a California woman. Who better?
http://www.mercurynews.com/losgatos/ci_9647928?nclick_check=1
ok, so that link won't get you there...but if you cut and paste it, then use the "search" for the website, and type in "solstice" you'll get the article I was referring to. It's number 1. by Mandy Major.
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