I have not been unbusy since my last post. Here I am back in the calm, loving hands of Minnesconsin. I call it thus b/c, while I have a deep attachment to WI as my home and my people, I also feel a certain connection to MN, as they are not so distant from us in space and heart.
Since camping, we left a day early due to unpleasant weather, I have been lazing around my state, making the rounds of friend and family. From Washburn, I headed to Eau Claire to visit Jennifer. Per my MO, I took back roads along parts of the way and was treated to many lovely, picturesque lakes and swamps that brought me back to my WI roots. In my growing up here I have traversed all parts of the state numerous times, via both backwoods and high-ground, and am therefor pleasantly acquainted with much that the state has to offer, and also have my sentimental being tickled when presented with shining examples. I was even treated to the sight, along a deserted, curving county highway B, of an expansive lake, bounded by forest and quaint lake homes, completely still in a soft dusk, occupied in the middle by a solitary fisherman in a modest rowboat casting the last of the day.
I had a pleasant time visiting Jennifer. We wandered around Eau Claire lazily visiting friends I already knew and being introduced to friends made since my last visit many months ago. We chatted of old times and reflected on our respective love lives since they had been one. It was disappointing though that her new boyfriend was acting jealous and would not meet me. Not that I wouldn't be unhappy with a visit by an ex to a new girlfriend of mine, but I would like to meet the guy nonetheless.
Taking back roads once again, I returned to Wausau last Thursday evening. Along the way I encountered a small town park in the middle of nowhere. The park was a small grassy park ensconced in maples, oaks and pines. The air was damp from a recent rain and the soil and plants were pungently opening to absorb the sweet water. Through a narrow band of forest was the bank of a small river about 25 ft across. In one part there were stones and swamp grasses protruding into the river to provide a pedastal from which I could survey some length of the river and enjoy its gay noises as it played its way through the stones. The park was deserted but for the numerous large frogs relaxing, until my rude interruption, in the grass along the bank. I reverted to my childhood days and caught and inspected one. Frogs are one the most stoic of natures creatures I have encountered in my short life. Even when presented with the most intolerable situation, being rendered immobile in the grasp of a creature 100 times their size, with no knowledge of what will befall them, they still contain the same nonchalant expression that says, “yeah?”
In Wausau I spent my days in the house, seemingly lazing, but actually spending my time working out details of my trip, administrative tasks, and later cleaning, working on and packing Gina. My evenings were spent with friends and family. Thursday night at home with Dad and Dawn. Friday afternoon with Keri, Dan, Mom, and Devon. Kassi made a brief appearance, but quickly darted off to a lock-in. Dan has done quite well making part of their yard into a lovely little sitting garden, where we had dinner during one of the few sunny days of the past couple weeks. Friday night was again spent with Dad and Dawn at the Loading Zone for fish fry. I then went to an 11:30 poker game with Andy. Here I vindicated myself from the piss-poor playing I had put against Andy up north. Playing until four I took second place. I even got to personally knock Andy out of the tournament. I hung on long, but was finally removed as I was forced by extremely unfavorable chip distribution to go all-in with the hope of coming up with the straight or flush. It was take those marginal odds or hope against hope that I would come up with something on the next hand. Saturday I went to a small gathering for Jake's birthday and saw some people who I hadn't seen in quite awhile. I also was invited to stand up in Jake's wedding next year and listened to and presented advice for Simon's little predicerment, which will remain undiscussed at this juncture. Sunday was completely dominated by changing Gina's oil and a collapsed vacuum tube and going through my stuff to determine what would stay and what would go. I finally got rid of my nice TV, which I rarely use and has been primarily a burden. Other than that I didn't get rid of too much. Slowly I am trying to whittle down my belongings, although I know that as soon as I am in a place for a time, they will mushroom out of control once again.
I had been hoping to get out early on Monday morning so that I could get down to the flood areas near La Crosse and Winona early enough to help out, but knowing myself I did not expect such a miracle. My sloth, or should I say easygoing nature with unreasonable expectations of myself, afforded me to have lunch with Simon on Monday. I had the greasiest, albeit delicious, burger of my life at Jamar's.
I took more beautiful back roads down to Winona. On Cty Hwy H south from Stanly I saw at least a dozen deer and two dozen turkeys. Turkeys by the way look rather stupid as they run away from you at what could certainly not be considered a breakneck pace, all the while craning their long necks to look back at you. I also took some very small back roads the width of one vehicle, one of which was called Sector One Road, heh.
I finally got to my Bangladeshi host's place at about 8:45. He and his Russian wife were very hospitable and even fed me with far more food than was necessary. A Bangladeshi married to a Russian with an obviously very American son, who also speaks Russian is not exactly what one expects to find in Winona, MN. I love Couchsurfing. After receiving no response from the plea for a couch or tent space that I had posted on the MN and WI groups, I sent emails on Monday morning to about a dozen people in and around Winona. Within a couple of hours Mohammad, my host, had already called and offered his place. By nightfall I had already received four more calls from people who were ready and willing to share their place to me. As far as I am concerned, Winona/La Crosse area gets a gold star for hospitality.
I had planned to get to bed rather early so I could wake early and be solid, but my plans were shattered when I opened the book that Brandy lent me for my trip, The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut. As Vonnegut tends to do the book took me away and I read for a few hours before going to sleep. I was also prolonged by a lengthy, although welcome phone call. I still left the house early since the adults had to leave for work, but I drove to a quiet shaded street around the corner from the volunteer center and napped until about 9:30 before going in and offering my services. I was quickly redirected to the JC Penny's where the volunteer center had recently been relocated and from there I was sent with another volunteer to an address where my help was needed.
We were greeted by a seemingly kind, although reasonably somewhat in shock, woman in her 60s. Her and her husband's house had been inundated up to several inches on the second floor and all that water had brought with it no small amount of debris and muck. They had actually walked out off of a balcony on their second floor onto the rescue boat. The water came out of nowhere and reached this level within a half an hour. The current was such that the boaters were extremely scared and one of them even was a seasoned river worker. It came so fast that the neighbor was pulled off his van, which was rotating in the current at the time, parked literally 30 feet from dry ground. Among the debris deposited in the yard was most of a garage, from where I could not determine. One of the walls was completely gone, leaving the structure resting feebly on its remaining side and the edge of the roof. I looked inside and there were still a hammer and several screwdrivers hanging from pegs in the wall. It is amazing that the forces of the water had torn away one wall and moved this whole garage to another property, but had left untouched several tools on the wall.
They had already cleared out their basement and torn out all of the plaster and drywall from the rest of the house. We spent most of the time cleaning about 6-10 in of mud from a storage area under the balcony. Wow, was that ever a task. That muck was gloppy and extremely heavy. Think of the heaviest snow you have ever shoveled and double that. Not only was it wet and heavy, but it stuck like glue to the shovel when you tried to dump it, and the storage area was only about four feet high, so every load was an exercise. I can only imagine what my arm muscles will be telling me tomorrow. We pulled out a stinky set of waterlogged encyclopedias, some lawn chairs, a couple sets of dishes, a Christmas tree and a bed frame, among other things. These were all, except the dishes which were to be saved, placed in a jumbled pile in the driveway. A man in a front-end loader came by later and dumped the detritus in a large dumpster. During our work, the Red Cross came by with meals for us. I am very impressed by the order exhibited by the Red Cross and will be supporting them in the future.
Unfortunately I am getting really run down with this cold that has bugged me for the last couple weeks and I need to rest a bit. I have asked not to be sent into the field, which is a bit of a drag b/c that's where the most help is needed. Of course my health will always come first.
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