Sunday, June 5, 2011

Joplin Macro Monday

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Joplin's Joyful - I don't know the history of the sign but when I saw it I thought, 'Not right now'.

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Didn't I just see this type of thing in New Orleans?  Still left over from Katrina?  So the photos I'm sharing this week are not really macros, simply close ups of the tornado damage to Joplin, MO. As I mentioned the night it happened, Joplin is my hometown (lived there the first 35 years of my life) and we had been planning a visit on Memorial day weekend before the tornado struck. We went through with our plans and tried to help our son organize his life a little while we were there.

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Looters will be shot - we are here

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When I saw Spongebob sitting in the Franklin Tech building, I thought of my grandson, and once again thanked the Lord that school was not in session at the time the f5 tornado hit.

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Metal and wires decorate trees like tinsel and ornaments would for Christmas.  It seems so wrong.

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Spray paint and boards have replaced the metal street signs to let you know where you are. There once sat a bank here- the vault is all that's left.

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Amongst the trials Joplinites find their humor and carry on.

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Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. :) MM started on Sept 29, 2008 - THANX to all of you for helping make it such a fun start to the week!


46 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry about the awful disaster over there!

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  2. Just awful - I cannot imagine....my prayers are with your family.

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  3. Such a disaster! The power of nature - makes me think how tiny and small we are. Hope your family is ok.

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  4. Good Lord Lisa! Thank God you and your family made it through. Nature can be brutal.

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  5. I'm so glad your family was safe. Great photos for today, Lisa.

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  6. God bless them. Thanks for sharing their devastation as well was their sense of humor...

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  7. I have no words... I watch the news... see the pictures... read the posts and I just cry. I just simply have no words... it breaks my heart.

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  8. The devastation is unimaginable and yet they find time to humor each other. I think the SpongeBob and the yard sale signs are great!

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  9. I am so grateful for these shots. They remind me of the things that are most important, and the life I take for granted.

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  10. These images are tragic and quite frightening! So glad you and your family are OK!

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  11. Those pictures are just heartbreaking.

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  12. I've lived through 2 tornadoes, 5 hurricanes, 3 floods, and 2 tropical storms. Tornadoes are the worst. I am amazed at how powerful these storms must have been. The tree shot brings it all home for me. Thanks for this personal tour. I will keep the Joplin people in my prayers.
    David/

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  13. So heartbreaking and scary how the lives of so many can be swept away or changed for ever, so quickly...I am glad your son and his family are safe and I am sure they are very grateful to have your love and support.

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  14. Wow, Lisa...the photos speak volumes. So, so sad.

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  15. so much horror Lisa...so much suffering.

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  16. This devastation just tears the heart and soul apart. It is unimaginable.

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  17. I'm left again praying for the suffering among us!

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  18. I will continue my prayers for the Joplinites...it is quite amazing that even amongst the devastation...someone could find humor...and have a yard sale. Hope your son...and his son...are both coping ok.

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  19. To see the photos on the news is one thing but seeing your images up close and personal really brings it home.
    Prayers for your family. So glad they all survived.
    I hope you are doing well yourself. I can't imagine going back 'home', seeing this, and being the same when I left.Thinking of you as well.

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  20. Definitely interesting photos today! Wow, what a wreck, huh?

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  21. Thanks for sharing the photos, it's really an eye opener. My heart and prayers goes out to the affected people.

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  22. Thank you for viewing the images of me and my thoughts are with all affected people.
    Best Regards from Annelie in Singapore, but currently on holiday in Sweden just now, my native land!

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  23. These pictures make me speachless. Of course I have seen pictures on TV or in Newspapers, but it is a completely different feeling when you see personal photos of somebody you know although only virtually. What a terrible disaster !

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  24. You've done a great service here, opening people's eyes to the reality of a hideous thing like this. And showcasing good ol' human nature: gotta laugh when you can't cry any more. Great series.

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  25. Really sad and desolate landscape left by the tornado in its path. Greetings.

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  26. It is so sad to see your photos. It must have been awful to go there now. But life goes on. hey will rebuild I believe.

    Have a nice week.

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  27. I'm without words... I'm so sorry for those people.

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  28. What a devastation! Praying for your son to have everything back soon, and the people of Joplin

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  29. Having never lived in a tornado risk area I have always found it hard to imagine the devastation they wreak but your photo essay illustrates it beautifully and with humor. I hope your son and your family are well and that Joplin and its people will recover.

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  30. such a mess, nature is powerful. I guess a bit humour helps in those situations. a sad story otherwise

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  31. Thank´s for sharing your photos with us!
    I´m so sorry for all the people living there!

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  32. So very sad. :( Praying for them all.

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  33. How incredibly sad.
    My husband and I experienced a flood shortly after we were married. We were evacuated and were fortunate to have very little damage ourselves. But looking at the devastation that wind or water can cause is an eye-opener for sure. I hope Joplin and other places affected will experience kindness and generosity throughout the time of rebuilding.
    Thank you for hosting. I’m a follower, and this hop is found on a page on my site that lists more than 250 hops, memes, and photo challenges… some for each day of the week. Check under the header for the link to that page. I’ve also just started a BlogFrog community that focuses on hops, carnivals, memes, and photo challenges. Go to http://theblogfrog.com/1504201 to visit & participate.
    I hope you’ll visit me soon. I follow back!
    NCSue

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  34. These are the first 'up close and personal' shots I've seen. The stories I've heard are heart wrenching. Made my fractured ankles seem like nothing. This is where daughter and I always stop for the night when traveling back to Dallas. I wonder if the hotels along the interstate are still there.

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  35. The devastation is unbelievable but the people of Joplin still have their sense of humour intact! What strength of character to be able to cope like that.

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  36. The devastation there was terrible and it will take a long time for the town to recover. Your shots make it so much more personable.. I will be volunteer there in 2 weeks to help with the recovery. I was on the fence about signing up but I just couldn't NOT do it after seeing shots like these.

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  37. The damage is just incredible - I've been amazed at the tornadoes this year. Unbelievable!

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  38. It's hard to get the mind around such destruction. We experienced the Northridge earthquake but this is far worse. I understand the stress for your son and his family, platitudes don't help, time and faith may.

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  39. [...] A closeup of me in my booth for Lisa’s Macro Monday! [...]

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  40. So sad, the town looks really bad.

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  41. Oh my goodness Lisa, it's even worse than it looks on tv. I'm so glad that your son is safe and sound. The devastation is just horrible. Everyone there continues to be in my prayers. I hope the can rebuild soon.

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  42. Wow. It's hard to imagine that a third of the city is in that condition.

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  43. The more I see of your Joplin photos, the more I am stunned that wind could wreak this kind of damage.

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  44. I can not imagine going through something like that, the pure devasation of it all...my heart goes out to all those people...Thank-you for sharing.....I am also glad to see that they still have a sense of humor through these tough times...made me giggle....

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  45. I love the touches of humor--especially spongebob. thats a good indicator of the will to survive, when you can find some humor in the devastation.

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