Just June Part II

This summer the girls are with me all day, Nick works with about four students doing intense summer research.  Lilly wasn't interested in going to Tree Top at all this summer and I knew I wasn't going to have any luck getting Greta there is Lilly was home.  So, we've been hanging out and mostly been having a wonderful time.

Lilly did spend a few days at Tree Top the rest of the week school got out (on a Tuesday) but stayed home with me on Wednesday.  We went to the library and signed up for the summer reading program and got the cool mustache kazoo. 

We spent Wednesday evening at a semi-professional soccer game held at Northland.  It was pretty fun to watch really talented people play soccer. 

Our first adventure was down to Eau Claire, Father's Day weekend.  My dad had been working for a few years I believe, in putting together a concert with some other musicians documenting the life of Ole Bull, a professional violinist with some ties to Eau Claire.  He did it as a fundraiser for their church and it was an amazing performance.  My grandma and aunt came to Eau Claire as well, so we stayed at Nick's parents' house. 

I think she's getting a little big for the Cozy Coup.

Looking for flinging discs they shot into the tree.

Bubbles!

Bubbles!

Rolling lefse for the concert

Making dessert with Grandma Robertson

It was a fairly quick visit, but it was a nice way to kick off the summer. 

However, the drive home was something else.  Ashland and northern WI was hit by giant storm.  Some areas got fourteen inches over the course of the night, followed by more storms the following day.  We had to come back a different way because the roads were closed our usual way, washed out or completely covered in water.   Texting with friends, we figured out the best way to get to Ashland and headed out, hoping for the best and to stay ahead of some more incoming storms.

One way to stay entertained in the car - sticker yourself

When we were nearing Marengo, about 20 minutes south of Ashland, the rain really picked up and started making seeing the road darn near impossible.  The girls were doing great, but Greta was certainly getting sick of being in the car.  We decided to pull over at the gas station in Marengo, so we could try and figure out what was going on - and you know, see the road again.  Unfortunately, no cell service in the gas station, so we were stuck just looking at the pelting rain, listening to the howling winds and trying to decide what to do.  Eventually, a few of my former students came in, driving in from Ashland, so we asked them how the roads and the weather was in Ashland.  They said Ashland was clearing up, going over the White River was scary, but other than that the roads were fine.  We decided to head out when the rain had let up and asked Lilly to be a huge help and keep her sister entertained while I helped Nick by watching the road and making sure all was good.

Normally, the brown rushing water is grass

Normally not a giant puddle

The rain was finally letting up, as was the wind, but we weren't sure if more was on the way.   But we made it.  We learned later that they closed the road we were on crossing the White River about 10 minutes after we went across. 

It took us a little while once in Ashland to actually get to our house.  This is what our road looked like:

We went further down thinking we could go that way, but one road was impassable and had a person kayaking in it!  We eventually were able to navigate our way around the neighborhood to get to our driveway.  Our garden was quite covered in water.

After settling in, we put on our rain gear and splashed in some SERIOUS puddles.  Including giant road puddles.

The construction site - under water!

This puddle was DEEP!

We saw a lot of worms

It was good to be safe at home.  And great to have a mostly dry basement.  Many people in Ashland were not so lucky.  There is still a detour to get to Duluth from Ashland for a large chunk of US Hwy 2 washed out.  For quite awhile Lake Superior looked like chocolate milk with all the sediment from Fish Creek and such that rushed in.  One of the newly made parks had tremendous damage, water rushing under brickwork and the retaining walls. 

Originally we were going to grill with Tim and Elizabeth (we enjoy the challenge of grilling in severe weather, and my we, I mean Nick).  However, we decided not to follow that plan and Tim and Elizabeth came over after the girls were in bed.  They showed us some pretty amazing pictures from other damages from the storm, including entire homes filled with sand! 

The lake is back to its usual color, the roads are getting repaired, basements are drying, and we've been able to enjoy our summer.