WolfOne

Halloween was one of the best times in my childhood, especially with all the treats you gathered when trick or treating. I still can remember my dad taking me and my brother door to door (oh those were the good old days!!!), coming home dumping our bag or pillow case full of goodies in the middle of our front room and sorting through them.

The best Halloween I ever had was when my children were around 7 or 8 and their uncle was down for a visit. I had taken the kids out trick or treating and when we came home their uncle greeted us dressed up as the Hunch Back

“Really He’s the Hunch Back”
My Mom wouldn’t lie!! There
Best Friends!!!

He’s my cool Uncle Hunch Back

But I’m The Cutest One of All!!

I remember after we finished handing out treats to all our little visitors we decided to go my girlfriends and my brother left his costume on, the kids thought it was great!! We went into one of our local liquor stores where my son led the Hunch Back around with his chain keeping him in control, we all had good laugh as people looked at my son and his uncle acting the part perfectly

The best part about the costume was how easy it was done and quickly as we were only out for a couple of hours. My brother took a pillow to make the hunch in his back, found the chain somewhere in my house along with the axe I used for camping, it was that easy. Sometimes the best costumes are that easy and simple.

Some quick and easy costumes can come from your old clothing in the house if one uses their imagination, which I don’t have today as my kids are grown up and I haven’t been to any Halloween parties lately, but I do remember wearing some of dad’s old clothes to be a hobo, sheet for a ghost, and an old dress of my mothers to be a princess. If there isn’t really anything in the house to use one could always visit the nearest thrift shop for ideas, or visit your local store for ideas to purchase a costume.

Here’s a couple tips/ideas that are simple for those creative ones

Have fun and be safe on Halloween Night

Not only did we endure flooding this spring, destroying land, homes and property but Mother Nature had more for us to endure with Tropical Depression Ike. A lot of areas in Northern Missouri and St. Louis received rain from three to five inches in a very short period, causing streams and rivers to over flow their banks with rushing waters and winds of 35 to 45 miles an hour.

Record rainfall for some areas:

• O’Fallon (which is about 20 miles from my home) received 5.84 inches rain
• Steeleville received 5.3 inches rain
•  St. Louis received 5.84 inches rain

The surrounding cities where I live, Old Monroe and Moscow Mills received approximately four inches of rain. One of the roads I travel to work (Graven’s) was flooded to the point where the water covered the farmer’s corn and soy bean crop leaving no profit this year (well at least next year’s crop will have very rich soil, if that’s any conciliation).

The Cuiver River flooded parts of Old Monroe again.

The railroad bridge the water was has high or higher than the flood this spring.

The town of Silex (also hit by tornadoes in 2006 destroying approximately 10 to 15 homes) was hit hard with dangerous winds and torrential rain completely flooding the town and leaving over 20 individuals being evacuated to temporary shelters. Other small towns also affected were Davis and Briscoe where approximately 40 residents were relocated to temporary shelters from the fast rising waters.

Recuse workers at Silex

State and county roads closed (15 in total) in the surrounding area of Old Monroe, Chain of Rocks and Moscow Mills, as the Cuivre River and small creeks caused flooding. Part of the road into my neighborhood was one (Blackmore Road) and I’m sure the lower part of Highway W in the surrounding area did as the thunderstorm we had on Thursday was causing minor overflowing of ditches and small creeks.

This is a video clip of the weather we are experiencing from Tropical Depression Ike in Springfield, MO.

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Isn’t it amazing how fast this flooded as well as receded as you view this business and garage (by the way when I first saw the garage on June 22, with all the water my first thought was “how convenient if you wanted to park a boat”, of course I felt that the owner would not see the humor in this).

As we were heading home from our day’s journey down highway 79 snapping pictures I didn’t notice these two until I had downloaded them on my computer. I wondered how the tree root got there, did it float to this spot or was it uprooted, regardless of how it got there one could only imagine the damage it may have caused well in route.

The pile of dirt had me wondering about the homes that got flooded with all the mud, sewage, fish, slugs and bugs, along with the smell from standing water. How devastating it would be loose everything. As we all say to ourselves “it’s only material things, we have our memories”, but I believe this is not how one wishes to cherish those memories.

Viewing these pictures I was in awe of the beauty this flood had with the appearance of a lake(s) instead of a field(s) or farm land and the birds that would come inland to feast and visit.

Water rising after levee broke in Windfield and its affect to the bridge at Old Monroe (June 29th)

This gentlemen viewing the height of the water and hoping for it to recede soon as his farm was effected

View of flood on the bridge

View of farm land effectived by Curivre River flood

Sand Bar just before Old Monroe June 22

Bridge into Old Monroe June 22

This house (dog groomer) is across from the bridge.  It was not affected by the flood in 1993 and the owner was quite confident she would not be affected by this flood

This bank was prepared the only damage received was seepage thru the basement (it’s about 1/2 block from the bridge)

View crossing bridge going south

North end of town

Our first view of the flood after the levee broke, watching these folks guiding someone towards their home(s) to view the damage or search for whatever they could possibly save. My first reaction was fear for the person in the water hoping he wouldn’t slip and injury himself, than my thoughts went to the horror they will see with all the devastation once the water receded.

Pictures taken going along the railroad tracks

Gas station coming off of Highway 47 to 79 (could see farmer’s fields and parts of flood damage in Winfield)

Due to the security, this area was the only place I could get close enough to get a view of what flood victims were facing. (These two homes are across from the Gas Station shown above). I could not image what all the other flood victims were facing and how devastating it would be to loose everything you own. Oh I know it’s mostly material items, but it’s also your history, dreams and future which are irreplaceable.

One of the lucky little survivors viewing the surroundings.

Area of approximately 300 to 600 feet on Highway 79 approximately a mile north of Winfield