Flood of 2010

It was a great weekend to be a duck in Central Wisconsin. Pretty much any river or creek overflowed its banks, many road closures, and some houses had to be evacuated. It was the most water I've seen since living here!

There were ducks enjoying water in places there would normally be grass. It was quite a sight!

This bench sits on the end of a pier on the Wisconsin River (above the dam) in Bukolt Park, Stevens Point.

River Road running along the west side of the Wisconsin River had to be blocked off, along with several bridges crossing it.

This was as the water was coming back down.

One of our favorite places to shoot portraits. Normally there's not this much water.  In fact, normally the "ditch" is dry.

See, lots less water.  Just compare where the dam is and you can tell.  The water was clear up to the wall on the left, you can see that wall in a photo further down.

Looking in the other direction you can see the train bridge in the distance, with water nearing the bottom of it.

Handicapped Accessible Fishing Pier would be difficult to get to.

This spot is one of the places you can jump on the Green Circle Trail. Normally the water is way out past the trees. There was so much water some trees were uprooted and tossed onto the trail, and the trail was flooded in spots even though it's quite a bit higher than the water normally is.

If you go down this road and hang a left, go a couple more blocks, there's a huge parking area for Galecke Park. Oh, and a boat ramp, but don't think you can make it to any of that. There are houses down there too, btw.

Dennis wanted to walk it, but he couldn't even make it to the corner, the water got thigh deep and he turned back, smartly, I think.

See, he's little bity down there.

Hope you don't rent a yearly spot at this riverside campground. All Rvs had to be moved up along the roads.

Baby it's cold outside

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The Wisconsin River has many parks and put-ins along its banks in our area. This a canoe put-in and I waded through calf deep snow in negative degree weather, and down a slick slope, just to get closer to the water.

This is where you might put-in a canoe in nicer weather but I don’t think I’ll be getting our canoe out anytime soon.

I love the way the snow collects on the rocks sticking up. Just imagine how cold that water is!

The edge would normally be water too, but there’s some snow covered ice.

A little further up the way is a small dam, I’m sure it’s this water motion that is keeping so much of the river unfrozen.

I’m just wondering why the few sunny days we have are also some of our coldest days. Brrr!

On the way back to the car I couldn’t resist stopping by the grill. Burger anyone?

Wisconsin River Mystery

You may be sitting there wondering what is significant, or unusual, about this shot. This is the Wisconsin River in Stevens Point and normally the water is clear up to the trees. And deep enough to not be waded across.

But one day in August, the water vanished (I forgot I had these photos until I stumbled across them). At first we wondered if the river had just miraculously drained, like Lake Delton in Wisconsin Dells earlier in the year.

But no, the dam was opened to purposely drain the water so the riverbed could be cleaned up.

Water, people, there’s supposed to be water over all of the sand you see, water deep enough for boats.

Haden was more interested in picking up crawdads than trash.

BTW - Did you know the little icon/flower/stamp looking things over there on the left are links?  And if you move your mouse over them you will see words?

READER QUESTION: And I'm feeling nosey, if you wanted to, say, bake some brownies but you were one egg short would you go to your neighbor's house to borrow one?  Or would you drive to the store to get more?  Or would you just forget about baking brownies right then?

MY ANSWER: As for me, a few days ago I wanted to make some brownies and I was low on eggs and after I contemplated the way of things - the way I used to borrow from my neighbors and they from me - and the way that at least the last six places I've lived we never borrowed anything from each other, heck we barely say 'hi!' - and I wondered if it's just changes in me, or if it's the norm of the world, or if maybe when kids were small and I had neighbors with small kids we just felt more like family, and well. . .it just made me wonder if knocking on your neighbor's door to borrow a slice of bread, or a bit of ketchup, a cup of sugar, etc has just went the way of typewriters.  Then I put the mixer away and although I finally made it to the store to get eggs, I still haven't made those brownies.