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Turkeys

Yesterday Jan called me out to the kitchen to look into our back yard. There were two momma wild turkeys, each with four to seven chicks. They were on opposite sides of the yard, not straying too far from the tall grass where we don’t mow.


Mother turkey with chicks

Wild turkeys used to be almost non-existent in Iowa but several years ago were reintroduced with stock from Missouri. Everyone said that they were shy and would not do well in proximity to people. To the contrary, they are thriving now and we frequently see them strolling nonchalantly across our lawn. This is the first time I have seen them with young though. Maybe they are getting used to us.

Random Quote #5

Another good one for an election year.

If a large number of chimpanzees at typewriters will eventually write “War and Peace”, then Congress will certainly balance the budget. —Unknown

Tree Frog

We’ve had some very pleasant evenings in the last week and therefore have spent a lot of time on our deck. While out there we are frequently serenaded by the local frog chorus. Last night I decided to see if I could spot the closest performer. Here’s what I found:

Tree Frog

I was quite surprised to see the degree of camouflage on this little guy. I believe this is a Common Tree Frog, Hyla arborea. For reference, the branch he is sitting on is about 3/4 inch in diameter. He puts out quite a sound for such a little critter.

Random Quote #4

I don’t know why I like this little verse. Maybe a shrink could tell me…

If I don’t drive around the park,
I’m pretty sure to make my mark.
If I’m in bed each night by ten,
I may get back my looks again.
If I abstain from fun and such
I’ll probably amount to much;
But I shall stay the way I am,
because I do not give a damn.
–Dorothy Parker

Flood Aftermath

Things are, very slowly, getting back to normal around the Cedar Rapids area. There are still many people who can’t return to their homes and a significant number of homes that will be totally demolished.

Roads that had been submerged are being repaired and power to the worst hit areas has mostly been restored. Neighborhoods that used sandbags in attempt to hold back the water now have mountains of them waiting for removal.

Thousands of houses and apartments had water damage to one extent or another. As a result there is a huge overload of trash consisting of waterlogged furniture, carpets, clothing and other household items. Among this trash are appliances of all types – washers, dryers, water heaters, air conditioners, and other major items. All around the area are temporary trash dumps where these items are being collected.

Appliance graveyard

Above is a picture was taken near the town of Palo which was completely flooded. Normally this is a corn field but now it has been pressed into service as a temporary dump.  Just trying to imagine the replacement costs is mind boggling.

Household trash

Here’s another shot of the temporary dump for non-metallic flood refuse. This was 10 or so times larger than the appliance pile. You can judge the size by the dump truck in the image.

The cleanup and reconstruction is going to take years and some towns and neighborhoods will never be the same.

Here’s an update on the twin fawns mentioned previously. The local paper today reported that the DNR did rescue them from where they were trapped by the flood. They were then relocated to a local wildlife shelter.

Hooray! Sometimes things do work out for the better.

I’ve recently received a number of calls and emails from friends, wondering if we are involved in the flooding here in East-Central Iowa. The answer is “yes and no”. Our house is at a high enough elevation that it isn’t likely we will get flood water. On the other hand we are semi-isolated from the surrounding towns because of road closures. With luck we will be be able to restock our food supplies soon, once more roads open up. We have plenty of food on hand now, a generator in case of power loss and (obviously) our internet connection. Still is is sort of worrisome when running in to the store is not an option.

Because of the road closures, I have not been able to get any photos of the worst flooding and, frankly, the gawkers have been a serious problem in this disaster. I have resisted the temptation to stick myself and my camera into the already confused and congested situation. I don’t know how long this link will be valid but here is an article with photos concerning the situation in Vinton, our county seat.

Anyway, we are high, dry and safe for the time being. The water levels in the immediate area are dropping and travel options should be improving. As long as we don’t get more rain we will be okay.

It is going to be a long time before this part of Iowa is back to normal but I am sure everyone will persevere. Once things settle down somewhat I will try to report more with photos. In anyone wants any specific information, don’t hesitate to post a question and I’ll try to respond.

Flood Victims

The nasty weather mentioned previously has produced severe flooding of rivers and streams in my area. This morning I went out to a site along the nearby Cedar River where members of ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) were monitoring the change in the river level to help predict flooding downstream. Not only are people victims of this flooding, but wildlife is also affected. At the monitoring site (which was surrounded on three sides by water) were these twin fawns.

Twin Fawns

There was no sign of their mother and I fear she was lost in the flooding, or maybe just unable to reach her offspring. I was told that the fawns have been in that area for at least two days, confined between the water and a nearby county blacktop. The DNR has been contacted but it is not known if they can rescue the pair. If it weren’t illegal, I would have figured out a way to do something for them myself.

Via amateur radio I heard a number of reports of wildlife being forced out of their normal habitat. In some cases the only place left for them to go is onto the roadways. This involved not only deer but smaller animals including snakes and rodents.

Unfortunately the weather is predicted to stay nasty through Friday and the rivers are still rising. A number of towns have issued mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying areas. Not a good situation. Our home is safe as we are on a hill about 50 feet above the normal terrain and at least a mile from the nearest stream of any size.