If you have a moment for some good thoughts, please send them my way

UPDATE:
I just got in from mowing the lawn (trying to feel normal a little bit and it badly needed it anyway) and am quite concerned with all the water at the back of my yard by the marsh. If the dam holds out, I don't think it'll be a problem, but my earlier confidence that things would be OK even if the dam went are pretty much gone. There's just too much water around for my liking.

The lake level is the highest by far in my 10 years here. The end of my pier is now even with the water level. If I hadn't tied my jet ski to the lift it would have floated away. I can't raise the lift any higher.

Reports on the dam are OK so far, but with more rain on the way, I won't feel comfortable for a good while.

 

Thoughts and prayers with you, o_t.

Hold dam, hold.

 

I saw a levee broke today. I hope the Iowa SportsJournalists.com contingent are all OK.

 

I think Zeke was flying out today to go to a wedding. I hope he got out of there.

As far as here, Round 1 of today's severe weather just went through. It was strong but brief. I'd guess we probably got about 1/3 to 1/2 inch of rain. But this is just round 1 of probably three between now and tomorrow morning.

We were told last night that the water levels would start going down around 7 last night. Instead, I'd say we're up about 5-6 inches.

I usually sleep till noonish. I went to bed at 3:30 am and was up at 7:30 this morning. We moved six vanloads of boxes and stuff out of my brother's crawl-space basement. Then I helped with getting a neighbor's pier out. Then my brother and I got our Jet Skis out and put them on trailers. The lake level is too high for the lifts to hold them.

The good news? That dam upstream is holding well. And the water level of that lake has gone down nicely while the dam has held. But until this round of shit is over and everything has held, keep the good thoughts coming.

Thanks, everyone. You'll never know how much your support means in times like this.

 

How are the feral cats holding out in all that rain, o_t?

 

You mean three-legged feral cats? Not so good. I just hope I don't find the damn thing floating in the big pond of my back yard.

 

OK, I opened a photobucket account to upload these pics so I'll see if I'm not full of fail or I am full of fail.







Here are a couple pics showing my pier under water and a pic of the water coming toward my back door from the marsh behind my house.

 

DAM!

 

Unfortunately, those pictures reflect the situation with the dam still holding. If it fails during these rounds of storms, think much more water here.

 

Well, at least you have a mode of transport if that happens.

 

Hope things continue to hold, O_T.