Spring floods are annual event here in the midwest. The local tributaries of the Mississippi have swelled their banks every Spring for all of time. The regular depositing of river sediment on the shores has altered the course of the river, created new lakes, and maintained the river banks deep in fertile topsoil. Only since the 20th century have humans tried to tame the river with levees and dams. But the excessive constraints placed on the mighty river meerly pushed the rising spring tides ever higher.
In our hometown of Iowa City in 1993, the Army Corps of Engineers that manage our resevior just upriver from our house failed to adequately allow for as much as we got. As a result, the level the in resevior rose too rapidly and overflowed the spillway at the dam, swamping the dorm at the bottom of our street. Therefore, every Spring after heavy rains or snows, they lower the level of the resevior by pushing the capacity of the river to the maximum. 
This year, the City Park where we go walking with my sisters, filled with water. We will have to wait for a few weeks for the waters to receed. Until then, we can enoy the more spectacular than usual rapids near the dog park.
Warm weather is coming and I am looking forward to walks in the sun, music in the park, movies on the lawn, and playing with puppies! Here's me reading a magazine about decorating with nature's forms. Pretty cool stuff!
2 comments:
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Hi Sophie,
Spring is certainly on its way- a sure sign is the melting snows and the spring rains raising the water level of creeks, rivers and lakes. Spring Creek is high and the waters are rushing making it a challenge for fly fishing.
I have a fun song and poem for you its part of American folklore-
Pecos Bill and Nickel Creek- Pecos Bill is from Texas just like your Daddy.
Now Pecos Bill was quite a cowboy down in Texas
Why, he's the Western Superman to say the least
He was the roughest, toughest critter, never known to be a quitter
'Cause he never had no fear of man nor beast
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
Once he roped a raging cyclone out of nowhere
Then he straddled it and settled down with ease
And while that cyclone bucked and flitted, Pecos rolled a smoke and lit it
And he tamed that ornery wind down to a breeze
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
Now once there was a drought that spread all over Texas
So to sunny Californy he did go
And though the gag is kind of corny, he brought rain from Californy
And that's the way we got the Gulf of Mexico
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
Now once a band of rustlers stole a herd of cattle
But they didn't know the herd they stole was Bill's
And when he caught them crooked villains
Pecos knocked out all their fillings
That's the reason why there's gold them thar hills
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
Pecos lost his way while traveling on the desert (Water, water, water...)
It was ninety miles across the burning sand (Water, water, water...)
He knew he'd never reach the border (Water...)
If he didn't get some water (Water...)
So he got a stick and dug the Rio Grande
(Yodeling)
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
While reclining on a cloud high over Texas
With his guns he made the stars evaporate
Then Pecos saw them stars declining
So he left one brightly shining
As the emblem of the Lone Star Texas State
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the toughest critter west of the Alamo
So yippee-i-ay-i-ya, yippee-i-o
He's the emblem of the Lone Star Texas State
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