respublica

What a day yesterday was for our kids

First Lizzie's office was put on lockdown by the St. Louis police after a shooting a block way. 4 people were killed by the owner of a business who then killed himself.

Then a huge storm with high winds tore through the DC area and turned Katie and Charlie's subdivision into a nightmare of downed trees, damage and no power. Luckily there house had only a few but neighbors were not as fortunate. The same type of storm hit almost a year ago, two hours after they closed on their house and went by to see trees and limbs all over their front and back yard.

Yesterday saw 96 degrees

An unwelcome glimpse at summer yesterday. Here's Ferdie after his after dinner walk.

Thankfully that hot air did not hang around, today will be much better.

Weather related cancellations

What a night last night was. Tornado warnings, torrential rain, wind, lightning..about everything but snow. All of which has come together to put the kabosh on last night's and today's additions of the Collinsville Horseradish Festival. Organizers are hoping to get the fest going beginning tomorrow at 10 and stay open til 8 weather and crowds permitting. 

About the only event that could take place in Woodland Park today would be mud wrestling. Horseradish has had its interesting weather over the years. I remember when it took place the first weekend in May and one year it actually snowed. After that June seemed the better option. The Festival has often seen rain, heat and humdity and once in a while perfect weather. You just never know on this particular date.

rain in 2009

Sun and heat in 2007

The end of May should be warm!

It's chilly cold enough in the DC area today that all the menfolk are wrapped up in gray and hooded sweatshirts.

Ever notice in times of tragedy?...

How quickly religous groups and churches get on the scene bringing relief and aid? Oklahoma after the tornado is a prime example of this.

What a difference a year makes

I really really hope "they" are wrong with the weather prediction for today. Rain. We've had so much rain during the past month...and cold...that we are way behind on planting. Last year we just hoped against hope "they" were right in forecasting the possibility of rain which never came.

Call Day is this coming Wednesday and we'd hoped to devote the next 3 days to flower planting. We'll see.

Spring-When One Day is not Like the Other

Rain, unstoppable rain. Rain we would have gladly paid for last summer.

When you get bulletins from MSD...

...you know we've had way too much rain.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Sanitary District put out an informational message this morning with the headline: What to do after a basement backup.

The advice includes:

Do not enter the area if water levels have reached the electrical outlets

When in doubt turn off the electric supply.  Of course that would involve walking through deep water in the basement.

Call MSD and they'll send someone to assess the problem and cause of the backup

MSD will give you a brochure on the best way to clean up the nasty mess

So much for 3 days of work

3 days spent draining and cleaning the waterfall basins until every leaf and bit of water and grime was gone and the surfaces dry. Then last night we got 3 inches of rain in less than an hour so I guess later today it will be back to the pump.

Adult work, child's play

What we've been doing today

Day 3 of emptying out the basin of the waterfall and shoveling out the leaves which sunk to the bottom. Dale began extending the stone wall while Ferdie laid in the sun and watched.

The leaves are mostly out, then came the scrubbing

Oh look, Daffodils. For some reason my mother always called them Jonquils.

Then Lizzie brought the boys over (dressed as superheroes) to fly their kites although the wind was very strong and it blew with strong gusts and downward sheers.

There's Christian giving it the old superhero try.

While Connor...

Gave up on the wind and climbed the backstop.

I got into the act just to see if I still had it.

Sort of

And Lizzie gave new Nick a chance

Nick did not say how he felt about it except maybe ZZZZZZZZZZZZ