Mary decided to take the boys to her folks' house in Evanston to avoid any potential flood-related problems. We won't get water anywhere near our house, but there is a real possibility we'll lose power and/or water, and that would complicate things enough that it seemed worth the hassle. Actually, hassle isn't the word for it-- ordeal, or trial or tortuous effort are more applicable. It took her six hours to get only as far as Dubuque, a drive we've taken in the past in about 100 minutes. It involved loooooong detours and 5 mph traffic because there are few ways in or out of our region.

Because I was home alone and sleeping off a day that included 7 hours of helping to complete dismantle and move our new office (we've been there six weeks) and another couple helping to sandbag the building, which includes a radio station and two restaurants in addition to the newspaper. Alas, I woke at 7 a.m., too trained by the boys' sleep patterns to even take advantage and sleep in. So, I grabbed my camera and headed out to see what my city looks like. The water is very high in spots and is expected to get anywhere from 3-8 feet higher over the next two days. The above photo was shot from a parking ramp that overlooks the river. The white line in the middle is a wall of sandbags that essentially marks where the edge of the river used to be.

To see all the photos I took, click here.