Peony

Sunset

Before DaVinci, Michelangelo or Grant Wood, there was God.

June Flood of 2008

Mother Nature has a mind of her own it appears as Iowans prepare or recover from the recent floods. The local channels have been on the air continually since Thursday the 12th of June. Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities have been just devastated by these floods. The damage estimates are simply astronomical. The town of Palo where my husband's uncle lives(d) is totally gone. The ability of such communities to recover is yet unknown. What do you do when the whole town is gone? Here in our little corner of the world, we had water lapping at our door but thankfully the river did not come in. As we exhaled we realized that the ground water that had no where else to go was seeping into our basement and not much we could do about it. We won't cry over our ruined carpet or the few pieces of furniture that were wrecked by the water. We count ourselves as fortunate for having come through such an atrocity with only bumps and bruises.


When the water comes to your door, throw a line in and smile because there is just nothing else you can do about it.

June Floods 2008

All across Iowa record rainfalls have pushed rivers and lakes to the bursting point. In neighboring states the story is much the same. Iowa, nestled in the heart of the Mississippi River Valley, has known it's share of flooding over the years. But even to some 'old-timers' this is something new. The Cedar, the Iowa, the Skunk and the Wapsipinicon rivers are all at record levels. With a chance of storms each day of the week to come, many predict these records to be broken.



Here the old bridge across the Wapsipinicon shows just how high this raging river is. Between June 7th and 8th, Anamosa recieved over 3.5 inches of rain, with more falling in the evening of the 8th. The river is expected to crest some time between the evening of the 12th and the morning of the 13th.
This picture was taken on the evening of June 9th.

Grant Wood Art Festival

This year the Grant Wood Art Festival was held in downtown Anamosa. The stormy weather hampered the attendance but not the spirit of those who came out to make this event a success. Artisans from all over participated although the events were moved indoors. The Anamosa Library had a stunning display of Grant Wood originals, which aside from this event most people would be unable to view due to the fact that some are held in private collections around the country.


The ice wagon is a common Grant Wood icon. During the Art Colony days in Stone City, some of the artist slept in them much like modern campers sleep in their pop-ups and fifth wheels. This ice wagon was outside the Anamosa Library and Learning Center lending an artistic air to the display of originals inside the modern building.



It is truly the people that make events such as the Grant Wood Art Festival a success. Despite the rainy weather people showed up to support our local artisans. Thanks to those who supported this celebration of the arts.

Downtown Anamosa looking west on Main Street.

Relay for Life

The Relay for Life was held on June 6th at Monticello, Iowa. This is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It began with a survivors dinner and music by some local talent, The Marshalls. The night was warm and windy. (No need for bug spray!:)) The survivors of cancer walked the first lap. Then the teams followed. Some people would walk all night. There were people across every age, children, young people, adults and seniors. Cancer is not age discriminating...
People set up little camps all across the field and there was entertainment of all types; comedy by Grace Zimmerman, Elvis was in the house, along with a karate club, a drag queen competition, and an auction. At dusk, the luminaries lining the track were lit and there was a reading in memory of those who lost the battle with cancer. It was a very moving experience for all those who attended this worthwhile event.

My friend, Joan, on her victory lap. I am so proud of you!! Our mayor John Hatcher walks beside her.

Kernels Baseball

Nothing says Americana like going to a baseball game! The atmosphere is definitely charged with the hopes and dreams of players and fans alike. The pre-game warm ups, the mascots and the kids are as much apart of the event as the first pitch and the last out. There are hotdogs to be eaten and peanuts to be shelled and foul balls to catch. If you ever need a reason to sit outside on a nice summer night, find a baseball game and you won't regret it.

Here are some friends at the Kernels game in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Memorial Day

This is the 2008 Memorial Day Parade in downtown Anamosa. Behind our fine veterans you can see the Anamosa High School Marching band. In the past the parade was much bigger and more people lined the downtown streets. The parade marches to Riverside Cemetery where a short program is held. This year state representative, Ray Zircklebach, gave a moving speech about the sacrifices our veterans have made in serving our country and the price they paid for our security and freedom.





Here are some of our patriotic citizens who have gathered to pay homage to our fine men and women who have served this country.



God Bless the USA!

Celebrating Veterans around the world.