[Disclaimer: I have been in process with this blog for about three weeks, so it may be a bit past due, but I wanted to finish it anyway!]
...I am talking about Fargo, North Dakota, a place that is a sort of second home to my family and me, and where I visited 4+ times per year up through high school for one reason or another. For me, Fargo sums up like this...
- mosquitos doubling as the state bird
- TONS of bug spray to go with those mosquitos
- humidity (hence, the mosquitos)
- black dirt / mud (always ruining my brand new white KEDS each summer...a moment of silence for the KEDS please!)
- fun on the lakes (Mom - when can we go back to Lake of the Woods?!) [My mom's maiden name is "Boone" and so the lake house that her parents owned for many years was called the "Boonedocks"...how cute is that!?]
- VERY cold in the winter, in fact it actually can literally take your breath away when you first walk outside. It hurts sometimes.
- my aunts and uncles living in Fargo
- my Grandpa's farm a few hours away from Fargo (though I was scarred for life when that bird died on the roof...Mom, Dad, and Andy...you know what I'm talking about. I could never look outside that window on the stairs again.)
- the most awkward shower EVER at my Grandpa's farm (see through doors with a straight shot to the house main entry!)
- learning to drive a golf cart at the farm (God bless the family members taking turns in the cart with us...we NEVER got sick of it...I'm sure THEY did...)
- strawberry milk at Mary Jo's house
- the coolest sugar shaker EVER at Judy's house and Duane's milkshakes
- the playground behind Judy and Duane's old house
- good food always
- Norwegian jokes (we are all a bunch of norski's and believe it or not, there are quite a few norski jokes...don'cha know? KIDDING...Sorry, Mom.)
- family
- photos
- Lilian (+ Jan and Yvonne...and all of the "little something" type meals they have prepared for us over the years)
- Duane's buick
- many interesting, sick, long, four-stop trips to get to Fargo [turns out...it's not the easiest place to get to...]
- mostly, I love the fact that it always feels like home when we go.
ANYWAY, the reason I bring up the place that holds so many fond memories for me is because of the recent flooding events. North Dakota had a record winter, and as a result, found themselves in a situation where the Red River was rising and they were preparing for the SECOND 500 YEAR FLOOD in less than 10 years! I can't even understand that much water, but anyway, on to the point...
In 1997, the first 500 year flood came, and we went to visit No Dak shortly thereafter. Pretty incredible. We have pictures of Andy and myself with water lines OVER OUR HEADS in downtown Grand Forks. Water damage everywhere. Fire damage everywhere (weird how floods and fires go together, eh?). Tree branches stuck in bridge structures with water 40 feet below (ie the water had been as high as the bottom of the bridge at one point but was now back to normal at 40 feet below...crazy). Needless to say, picturing THAT happening in Fargo was difficult.
At the worst, the River became 9 miles wide. It passed the 1997 record by multiple FEET. I can't even grasp that at all! 3,000,000 sandbags were filled and used. 12 miles of dikes were installed. The nursing home where my grandfather spent the last years of his life was evacuated (which makes it hit a bit closer to home). Overall, a pretty terrifying situation.
BUT....
I kept kind of chuckling to myself when I heard the media talk about the impending flood... They were always shocked and amazed at the number of volunteers that had showed up to help sand bag, build dykes, provide food, etc. like it is a revolutionary concept to do what it takes to protect your life and your property. When Homeland Security folks recommended evacuation, some Fargoans laughed and said "that's not what we're here to do." I laugh because clearly these reporters have never been to North Dakota or met a North Dakotan (or any mid-westerner for that matter). They are just straight up, hard working, do it themselves type people, and OF COURSE they are not going to evacuate! If they are going to go down, they are going to go down fighting.
I have heard many stories throughout this whole ordeal from my family members that are up there, and many of them are very touching, but perhaps my favorite was the large group of folks from New Orleans that came to "return the favor." A bunch of North Dakotans had gone down after Katrina hit to help in Louisiana, and so in appreciation of help years prior, the same folks headed north to fight the flood. People helping people. Music to my ears.
To those of us who come from mountainous places, it is hard to imagine that much standing water, but I heard it described like this...Picture dumping a gallon of water onto a flat, wood table. The water just sits there, and has no place to go. Now, if you've been to North Dakota, you know that it is FLATTER than a table... You know where I'm going with this.
Anyway, it's pretty amazing...the coming together of people to help each other out. If I had posted then when I planned on it, I'd say let's pray for the people of North Dakota. But now, since I'm late, let's just be thankful that the worst has passed and that they were prepared.
Visit North Dakota.
It's the only state in the union with a surplus.
They make good potatoes there.
And the people are fantastic.
CLICK HERE for some amazing photos...[Check out all the people inside working out the sandbag situation!]
