North of Spring – Drama on the big lake Gitche-Gumee

I never thought I’d see the day that my parents were thankful for internet access and actually thought about satellite service for connectivity.  Sheesh!

But there it is, an incident happened that made it look worthwhile.  I’ll let my dad fill in here:

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The levee on the east end of Silver Lake broke 3 days ago.  This caused flooding in that area.  It feeds the Dead River Basin "lake" where Marquette has a hydro dam and generator.  That in turn feeds the McClure lake or reservoir which has the McClure Dam.  This all feeds the Dead River, which crosses under 550 near the Tourist Park on its way to the main power station and Lake Superior near Presque Isle Park.  The bridge near the main power plant leading to Presque Isle Park was wiped out early yesterday, and the water was up to within a foot of the 550 bridge.  The area around Silver Lake and parts of the Dead River area, including 510 were flooded.  Everyone north of the college was evacuated, and 550 closed.  Power was cut at 1:45 PM Thursday to Big Bay and the phone shortly thereafter.  Didn't get power back ‘til just after midnight when the river crested and officials thought the worst was over.  Didn't get phone service ‘til 9 AM Friday.  In the meantime, everyone had their barbecues out last night, including us.  First hamburgers on the grill hit the spot.  Then we went to the lake, got water for flushing the toilets, even got ice to fill the chests just in case this thing would last days.  I knew the ice was late this year for a reason.  Picture attached was taken this morning at 10 AM, 50 degrees in the shade, ice is melting, but there are still good size mountains at the edge of the sandbar, where the waves were pounding on Sunday and Monday's last storm. That gave us 1.67 inches here, but as much as 5 inches in some areas.  Marquette recorded 3.5.   Everything on the west side of the county drains into the dead river basin.  Plus the spring run off.  There's got to be a lot of flooded hunting camps in that area.  550 is still closed.  They might reopen it later today.  Officials are making a survey as to the safety and structural integrity of the bridge.  The alternate route, 510, is definitely out, as the 510 bridge near the McClure dam is flooded, and they haven't assessed its worthiness.  So Big Bay is isolated for now.  No mail, or newspaper.  Hopefully, the road will reopen before Cram's store is emptied.  Hopefully, there is no structural damage to the 550 bridge.

Good thing we have phone service and the ‘net.  Even lost cell phone service when power was cut off and the nearest tower was turned off.  Might have to go to satellite service as a backup.     See www.miningjournal.net for newspaper coverage and pictures.  Also http://www.luctv6.com for latest local news on the flooding.

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I thought my folks were just plain busy since I hadn’t gotten an e-mail in a couple of days.  Now I know what they were up to in the great white north.  They’ve been out in that 33-degree water scooping up ice chunks to keep their refrigerated foods fresh!

Think my folks need to rethink getting a woodstove added to their retirement home for occasions like this when the power goes out.  It’s been near freezing overnight any number of times in the last month.

Brrrr…gives me gooseflesh just thinking about going out in that lake!

5:09:32 PM    comment []

930 am

Chives, trying valiantly to keep up with the Joneses.

11:24:58 AM    comment []

925 am

Shy birch tree hides its

flowers from view, unlike its

immodest neighbor.

11:21:03 AM    comment []

920 am

Slyly slipping into this bed, an iris raises its juvenile head.

11:16:46 AM    comment []

915 am

A threat, but not taken seriously. 

In a good year, only one in three of these frilly blooms will make it to apple harvest.

11:08:36 AM    comment []

910 am

Peek-a-boo, I see you, in spite of your best efforts to fade into the branch of this tree.

 

Of course, calling out didn’t help your cause.

 

  10:22:17 AM    comment []

900 am

Tree top robin sings;

A lively broach pinned abreast

This blowsy prom dress.

10:11:08 AM    comment []

Freaky Friday Failing

Imagine that: words fail me today.  A jillion things run through my head, but nothing comes out.  So very frustrating to have so much left unsaid. 

I think I caught the bug from Rob yesterday; hope he’s over it soon.  Hope I’m over this in a hurry, too. 

Or maybe it’s just a triple witching hour, affecting my brain’s blog center.  A full moon, drizzly May showers, and Mercury retrograde all combined at the same time, all acting against me.

In the mean time, I’ll resort to other methods.  When the oral/auditory fails, one can always move to visuals.

10:02:42 AM    comment []