Subj : flood stuff was: Vacation To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Fri Nov 29 2019 08:43:00 Hi Nancy! Just got a refill on on my coffee and heard this announcment on the radio: "Thanks for listening to KIIK ["kick"] one-oh-four-nine at work -- that means you haven't ben fired yet." Obviously tongue-in-cheek. BM>> Actually for that specific area might be more fun to research what's BM>> there currently. Corner is essentially a tiny park, though would seem BM>> like a good place for a gas station, convenience store (there is one BM>> across the street). (We don't need another gas station/convenience BM>> store, and overall I prefer seeing the grass and trees there -- cue BM>> Joni Mitchell and "they paved paradise".) Next "lot" over is what I'm BM>> slightly curious about: largish flattened mound with a short yagi-style BM>> sticking out of it. Maybe three feet off the ground; looks like a BM>> regular TV antenna. Not-so-secret bunker?! Too far away from the creek BM>> to be monitoring that. NB>> That does sound like an interesting corner... :) BM> I had looked on Google Maps and nothing identified. Have been told BM> that area used to be road for a gentle curve from the E-W Kimberly Rd. BM> to the N-S one; was modified when the interchange with I-74 was BM> constructed (I think early 70''s -- before I moved out here). Doesn't BM> explain the 'secret bunker' thing. NB> That's the sort of thing that the local history library might NB> have the information on... :) Are you trying to get me off my computer chair?! It'll probably end up being something boring like a part of the sewer system. OTOH.... :) BM>>> Ah, OK. Regional terminologies. We do have similar sites locally; BM>>> OTTOMH not sure about the kitchen but there is essentially a house on BM>>> the nearby golf course and park one can rent for receptions, etc. NB>>> These will have an extensive kitchen, with a large room for the main NB>>> event, and often a smaller room for a bar (sometimes just part of the NB>>> main room), along with restrooms... And there is a staff that runs NB>>> the establishment and the kitchen, so when you rent the space, you NB>>> get full service with it... :) BM>> Probably the same here. The few I've been to had the event room, BM>> can't recall the bar option, kitchen area, rest rooms. Don't recall BM>> the staffing arrangements. Of two I'm recalling better both had an BM>> 'overseeing' staff member or two present: familiar with the site and BM>> helped the brought-in staff find things. NB>> So possibly between what we call a party-house and the more self-serve NB>> lodges in the parks here... Another way to describe the party house NB>> here is that it's a restaurant that is only open to private parties, NB>> not to the general public... :) BM> Right. The ones I can think of out here generally use the word BM> 'lodge' and state available for rental -- almost like there isn't a BM> descriptor, one just knows: "Duck Creek Lodge", "Credit Island BM> Lodge"... OTOH when one says "The Lodge" they mean the former BM> restaurant and hotel. NB> Hard to be sure, but what you describe doesn't seem to quite be NB> the same as our party houses... but at least similar.... I'm thinking it's similar to what your 'party house' is but not the same. BM>>> Davenport has the Credit Island Lodge - yes, that got flooded but had BM>>> been rebuilt a few years back due to a fire and the first floor level BM>>> is more or less minimal so when it does flood not too much to move out BM>>> (to upstairs) and repair. (The island was a site for fur, etc., BM>>> trading back in the Indian Days and hence the name.) NB>>> Ah, the name does makes sense with that history... :) We also have NB>>> lodges (generally one-story) that are available to rent in the various NB>>> local parks... those come with kitchen and restrooms, but one has to NB>>> bring in one's own food and can cook it there themselves... BM>> Right: quite a few of those options around here too. NB>> That tends to be rather a common option... :) BM> Was looking up Duck Creek Lodge and for their gazebo area (separate BM> from the house) has a seating capacity of 40 with no additional chairs BM> allowed; the house portion has a capacity of 110 but I didn't see BM> mention of who provides the seating, tables, etc. (Probably noted in BM> the reservations section.) NB> If they do, then it's closer to what we call a party house... NB> especially if they also provide the food and the service.... :) I don't think they provide the food, or at least the two events for which I've attended a function there was catered. Another thing for The List! BM> ..And then there are two shelters in the BM> park which can be served, and yes, there are rest rooms nearby, NB> Good thing... ;) Iowa DNR tends to frown on the alternative! BM>>> There is a current concern which I hadn't hadn't heard of until BM>>> lately. Some of the area rivers including the Mississippi are still at BM>>> flood stage and that is causing a potential problem for the roadways BM>>> nearby. The road bed is rock, gravel, etc., to allow good drainage, but BM>>> that also allows the water from the river, stream. etc., to flow in to BM>>> the road bed. Water expands when it freezes, so if there is water in BM>>> the drainage bed could expand and damage the road this winter. NB>>> Yet another factor.... ;( That sounds like a problem that should NB>>> have been thought of before.... but I suppose having the rivers NB>>> stay at flood stage hasn't been that big a factor up till now....? BM>> The staying at flood stage for so long is extremely rare - closer to BM>> never. Normally the rivers, etc., do a normal yearly drop of their BM>> water level, which drains the water table to where it belongs and the BM>> road beds are emptied. Just lots of rain, enough to keep the water BM>> levels up near/slightly over flooding and not drop back to normal BM>> river levels. NB>> Let's hope that it isn't a new normal... and that things will be NB>> back to the more expected next year...! BM> They're already issuing flood predictions for next year; I haven't BM> taken the time to read them yet. NB> That sounds scary... unless they are predicting much less next NB> year than this year.... I don't recall a predicted depth other than less than this year's but still going to be flooding. NB>>> Maybe it IS time to move everything further uphill.... ;0 BM>> That would be quite a job! Have heard where it's been done, just not BM>> on such a grand scale as would be needed locally. Recall where a small BM>> town in the South (Louisiana?) moved a relatively short distance -- BM>> mile or two? -- just enough to be sufficiently elevated so as to not be BM>> flooded. NB>> It would be quite a job, and I was mostly being a little facetious... NB>> Even a small town would find it quite the job, I'm sure.... BM> Right. I have seen houses moved -- slowly creeping down the street in BM> two or three portions. (Originally had 'pieces' - seemed not quite BM> appriopriate!) Probably impossible to move most of the business BM> buildings as just too large. Building replacements would be a BM> nightmare: currently the buildings fit together and the business owner BM> makes do with what they have. If moving most would be doing the "it BM> would be nice to have extra room" or sometimes a little less room, so BM> the current jigsaw fit is lost. NB> Yup, does sound like a nightmare... I've actually seen some whole NB> (fairly large) houses moved down the street to a new location, NB> but it's a major operation, and probably more than a little risky NB> that everything would survive the move without some damage.... Yes, would seem the jacking up on to the trailers would be the most heart-stopping portion, followed closely by the setting down on to the new location. The actual moving to the new location probably isn't too bad a the house is on the trailer. NB>> And now, we've not only had a hard freeze, but have stayed cold for NB>> almost a week now... and got a foot of snow.... which also is still NB>> around... As some of announcers have been saying, we're getting NB>> January weather in November! Today the high is only 27ø, but it's NB>> supposed to be in the 30s again tomorrow and Monday... they were NB>> talking about the 40s but that keeps moving down the way more... BM> We've been roughly ten degrees cooler than normal the past and current BM> week. Next week is suppose to be warmer than it has been but still a BM> little cooler than normal. Right now 35ø and last I heard a 3 mile BM> visibility with the fog. Supposed to rain around noon. NB> And the last couple of days here, it's actually been in the high NB> 50s...! We actually did get our Indian (late) Spring finally... NB> not quite the Indian Summer that would have been nice, but it is NB> the end of November, after all... ;) Today is back in the 30s, NB> and tomorrow is supposed to be likewise... then maybe back in the NB> 40s for the beginning of next week... 33ø this morning with the high only in the upper 30's. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving (so two days ago as I write this) did get the 50-60 MPH wind gusts but the predicted for later 70-75 MPH didn't occur, or at least locally. One power glitch at almost exactly noon did get the UPSs excited but other than that just a couple of quick flips. NB> I'll use a sweater jacket for the fall, most of the winter, and NB> then again in the spring... When it's a little warmer, I wear a NB> short sleeved shirt under my dresses... and when cooler, switch NB> to long-sleeved... And when colder yet, actually zip up the NB> sweater... ;) Only when the temps get below zero F do I switch NB> to the winter jacket... usually that one's too warm for me... :) NB> In the summer, I tend to switch to the shorter length sleeveless NB> sundresses... We always knew you were hot stuff!! NB> ... Everytime I have all the answers, somebody changes the NB> questions Looks like someone stole the teacher's answer key again! ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... 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