simply iowa: Please...Pray for Iowa.

August 10th., was a mighty tuff day, for our area.

Daughter, Liz...and Adam, pretty much, lost their Home, in Elberon.

They are Safe.

Son, Justin, and Katie, had substantial damage, to their Home.

They...are Safe.

Most everyone I know, in the center of the State, Lost.

Some, lost....Everything. Everything.

I, was sitting in a Block Constructed Car Wash, with Jethro.

I kept his windows down, so the wind could blow through him.

Pal, Dale...had called just before the Storm hit, and warned me to take cover.

I'm grateful...he did.

There was no warning.

It was like something I'd never seen.

Lasted for nearly 40 minutes, with sustained winds up to 140 mph., in our area.

I took a couple of videos, I'll post one..above, of mine, and Jethro's...Storm 'Moments'.

; )

I thought, it might be my Last...Video.

Thought, me, and Jethro...might take One of The Wildest Rides, Ever.

our...Last One, Too. ; )

When I left the Car Wash... I was only a mile from home.

I, wondered...if anything was left of our home, and buildings.

I saw building, after building..destroyed.

Gone.

I felt like 'Scarlett', in 'Gone With the Wind'...when she was trying to see if 'Tara'...was still standing, after The War.

'Is it still standing...Is it...Still...There????"

I, saw the Barn...then, the Shop...Then...the House....and, finally...The Rabbit Hole.

ALL STANDING!!!

<3 <3 <3

Even..the Greenhouses, Are Standing!!!

Lost a little glass, and...had some roof damage, many...Trees.

But....

Everything is Standing.

<3 <3 <3

Everyone, in my Family....is Safe.

<3 <3 <3

That also includes Scout, Peanut...and Baby Kitty.

<3 <3 <3

The next 7 days were kinda ruff.

No Power, No Water, No Phone, No Internet, No Fuel...

When I could finally find fuel, a couple of days after the storm, I went to check on the Kids.

Then...hauled water home, and carried it by the pail....inside.

{Flushing The Toilet...is a Big...Deal. ; ) }

{The above image...was about Day 6, without Power. ; )

I woke up with the Sun... that morning, took my hair down, for the first time...since the storm.

No Bra...No Makeup...Puffy Eyes, from Sweltering...Heat! Skinned forehead, from taking a Dive, on Peanut's Cable, by the back door, onto the limestone entryway. ; ) {wish I could say it happened during something heroic.... nope. Just call me, 'Grace'. : ) }

but...

All Was Right With The World!

Thanks to Liz, and Adam...still having Water...

Adam filled these container's up, lined with Contractor Garbage Bags, tied shut...

so I wouldn't Spill a Precious... Drop....!

{Used to have to haul water to the Horses, this way. ; ) Thank God...I'm a Country Girl! <3 }

I Had about 50 Gallons of Water, on the Ford.

I Knew...I could Make It...Another Week!

Hahahaha!

I cook with this Beautiful....Stove. <3

She's about 120 years old.

She COOKS, no Matter. : ) Wood/Gas Combination. ; )

We didn't go hungry. ; )

I tried to cook up, what I could, and give it away.

LORD...I Hate to throw 'Food'...away. : (

in the end, I had to.

Heartbreaking.

It's amazing how little, one... truly 'needs', to get by.

I think I could manage fine, without power.

but...I need a 'hand pump', well pump.

Water, is a Big....Deal.

Below, are a few images of our damages.

I, still don't have a list, for the damages...from the Flooded Basement.

Now, another list....for spoiled food, and....storm damages.

: (

The Insurance Adjuster's, are losing their minds, I'm sure.

: (

May God Bless..our Agent, Lisa...at Neighbor Insurance, in Hiawatha.

I had no phone, but...when I could get fuel, and find a place with cell service, I got a hold of her.

She had already put claims in, for me, and Two of our Kids, who Insure...with her.

Oh My.

<3 <3 <3

Few had any cell, or landline service, for DAYS.

{Pal, Bill..JUST got Power, two days ago. There are over a thousand, in the Cedar Rapids area, still...without power. : (

Over Two Hundred Thousand...to Start With.

Those Linemen, are AMAZING!!! We Know...they are Doing Their Best! I Honk, Wave...and Give a Thumb's Up...every time I see them working along the roads. May God Bless Them, and Keep Them Safe!!! }

The Cedar Rapids area, I hear...lost nearly 70% of the Trees. It's like the Twilight Zone.

It's...been crazy.

Then, throw an Estate Sale...in The Mix. oh my.

I'll be writing more, about this...Mess, soon.

Please....Pray, for Iowa.

Love...to ya.

Barb C.

Iowa Hurricane Damages, at our Home.

We lost several Trees, one Huge Locust, put a limb on the roof of the house.

Put several holes in the roof.

When the Guys came to get the branch off, it hit the house so hard, the old, old...Black Forest Cuckoo Clock, fell to the floor, in Justin's old Bedroom. It's a mess. It also broke the window, in Justin's room.

This is the new Trail for Fairfax, The IDOT is accommodating for Them, where the green Mesh is.

Our Home...is where the Red Roof, is.

The Trees, took a Hit.

Somehow, seeing Mother Nature 'Trim' Trees, isn't nearly as painful...

as watching the IDOT Wrongfully Butcher, and Wrongfully TAKE Them.

It's sad, to lose them in a Storm,

but.... Sickeningly Putrid, to have them Unjustly Taken.

The Tent.is gone.

Much...is destroyed.

Tree down on Scout's Fence.

Tree fell on The Shop. Put holes and creases.

My Beautiful Dancer, Fountain...gone. She was from California, nearly 6 feet tall.

Grateful...for Kind Neighbors.

Cindy, and Jay.

The Rabbit Hole, took a Hit.

Curled some of the tin on the roof of the Barn. Blew the doors in, and out.

Much...broken Statuary.

Tree on The Hen House.

We just keep piling the branches in the ditch.

The Rabbit Hole.

{I write too much. : ) all I should really say, is....

'Look what The IDOT has 'Done'...'Butchered'' 'Wrongfully Taken'....'SOLELY.'...To Accommodate Fairfax, for Their 'Wrongful'...'SUICIDE TRAIL' ; ) }

I have a Major...Problem...with 'Liars'. ; )

Uh Oh.

: (

Everyone knows it. Including The IDOT, and...Fairfax, City Hall.

Bless their hearts.

The IDOT has substantially raised the elevation of highway 151 solely to make accommodations for Fairfax's Trail, wrongfully, according to our recorded Settlement Agreement, under the bridge that adjoins our Land.

In doing so...they have raised the elevation of not only the now....MASSIVE Bridge, {also, breaching our recorded Settlement Agreement, as the IDOT has put Fairfax's Trail, On that Bridge. uh oh. : ( }

Stallman Drive, is Also...Much Higher, {To Meet the Higher Elevation, Solely to Accommodate Fairfax's Trail Under the Bridge} and Much More Dangerous, after the IDOT redesigned it, {Poorly} as well.

Very Sad.

Now...with No Ditch...the Rabbit Hole, sit's in a BASIN.

I've told Newman, Staebler, and AJ, from District 6, {Along with Many Others, from District 6.} All of This...NUMEROUS Times....both, in writing, and verbally.

{Remember...Boys, water doesn't run uphill. }

Deaf Ears.

: (

Warned them all about the Tiles, and Gutter Drains.

Deaf Ears.

Our Home...has Flooded 3 Times, in as many months...because...they don't listen, and don't care.

They all know it. They Don't Care.

The huge hole, they dug....to open the drain tile, after their Negligence flooded our basement, still isn't fixed.

It's sitting in an open Pit.

It Can't Drain Freely, Openly.

Should we get big rain, that 'pit' will fill, and put all of the muddy water, right back in the basement.

They Don't Care.

The IDOT Doesn't Care About Anyone's Safety, or...Well Being.

For the IDOT, to Tout, in their brochures, that 'Safety is Priority One', with them....makes me Nauseous.

I've Begged Them, for Safety Studies concerning the Trail they are Building for Fairfax... {Wrongfully} They Refuse.

{So did The Mayor, and Council, in Fairfax. Even...if I Paid for it.}

{Newman, from District 6, told me there was a safety study conducted for the new Stallman Drive {Poor} design, when I raised so many concerns about it's safety.

After waiting nearly 3 months, to see it, he told me, there actually.. isn't one.

Of course not.

All of this, is reckless endangerment. I've warned them all, Over, and over.

In writing, and...verbally.

At Numerous Open City Council Meetings, as well.

NONE of my Concerns were ever...in the Minutes, Even....when I was on the Agenda.

Guess, people will have to lose their lives before they do anything.

Sadly, there will be many.

It's All...on Them.

Shame...on Every One Of Them.