The day after the Great Flood of ‘07 as its bound to be called since it’s officially the worst ever, opened with the normal sounds of traffic and people combined with the constant din of pumps running full-out up and down Main Street. Even though the skies are blue and its a sunny 74-degrees day so far, signs of recovery are everywhere.

My part of downtown is now dry, but walk a few blocks north or east and the roads are still under water. Saw a film crew from The Weather Channel at the bridge (debris shot below), the Coast Guard with rescue boat ready to launch at another spot a few blocks from downtown, complete with a photojournalist with badges hanging from neck and several cameras. Our little town has become a national spotlight, it seems. Been hearing from friends and family who’ve seen us on The Weather Channel, CNN, ABCNews, etc. Our unwanted fifteen minutes of fame continues.

Some shots of the aftermath below as the town rallies to get back to normal. I still can’t drive to see other parts of the city, but at least I can walk about now, high and dry. Oh, the plumbing in my building is now under “don’t use yet” moratorium, but the coffee shops down the street are willing to let us “visit” there!

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

As for me, my office will be closed again tomorrow, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they close Friday as well. Lots of folks were hit by this, so it’s not just having the water go down in the streets and drying out the lobby. I suspect the weeks to come will be a lot of hard work for a lot of folks.

Finally…a good use for a PC! (cable-tied to the end of a pump hose)

My front door has seen dryer days…

How you can tell when the flooding has reached “serious”…

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I’m a witness to history, but not the kind any of us would wish for. We’re slated to hit a record level of flooding from the usually serene Blanchard River that runs through Findlay, Ohio. If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve seen the pounding we in the Midwest have endured lately. From near-record drought to record flooding.

Unlike most of the people I know here, I’m somewhat immune from the rising waters. I live on the third floor, my car’s on the second floor of a garage, so I’m merely a witness to the mess. And as I type this, the thunder continues and the rain is starting again. Yipes. Flooding in downtown Findlay is a rare event in these parts.

I was up this morning before dawn, and greeted by the eerie scene of street-lamp lit downtown street with a solid black ground – total absence of the usual sights of sidewalks, street striping, the normally recognizable signs of our downtown street at night. Once there was enough light out, I snapped these images. Tried to go outside to get street-level shots, but our front door is sandbagged and I don’t have rubber boots anyway. Not going out walking in this mess. Guess I’m not going anywhere for awhile!

Fortunately I have power (and Internet, obviously), bottled water, food, etc. Just have to wait it out. The river is still rising, expecting another foot at least before it crests later today.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Photos below give you a taste of the activities, and in the last picture, what the waiting was all about: a long row of hot air balloons simultaneously firing gas engines to illuminate those pricey sacs above their heads. The illumination ended earlier than planned, urged to a close by an impending thunderstorm. And, since this is Flag City, what festival would be without Old Glory present, in this case down where balloons like to roam. Enjoy!

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

So it’s not exactly an Earth-shattering way of celebrating, but to someone who hasn’t had significant solid food in two weeks, it was glorious.

I’ve only recently embraced sushi as a delicacy, final realizing that sushi does not have to mean raw fish. The photo of my dinner above is testament to how once can enjoy non-raw-fish sushi. The top delicacy is a spider roll, consisting of soft-shell crab, ubiquitous rice, and a few veggies wrapped in soy paper (an option I like over the usual seaweed). Next to that is a Yasaihama roll, assorted vegetables in rice with seaweed wrap. The lone Nigiri Sushi is smoked salmon on…that’s right, more rice. What isn’t shown is the edamame I ordered as an appetizer. By time I snapped this pix, the delightful steamed soybeans in salted pods was long gone (and thoroughly enjoyed).

I’d love to report I had a little Sake to make this a truly fine meal, but alas, the restaurant (Asian Grill in Findlay), does not yet serve beer and wine. Considering I haven’t, along with real food, had even so mucha as a glass of wine over the last three weeks, that might have led to a bit too much celebration last night.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh