Floods suck.

All is well at our house in Baraboo; thanks to everyone who emailed with concern. Unlike Grand Forks, there's actually some change in topography in our part of the country, so though our house is dry, it looks like this just two blocks away. And I reiterate: Floods suck. That much has not changed in the past 11 years. I saw this poor fellow come out of his house in waders:


I wanted to say something encouraging. I went through it, too. This will pass. The water will recede and you will scour your home and dry your photos and pile on the curb your mud-soaked and most intimate belongings and cry, a little, in private, but this will pass. I promise. But I realized if someone had said something like that to me the moment after I tore the caution tape from my front door and peered inside, I would probably have slapped her. Or wanted to. North Dakotans aren't generally too into slapping.

Writing that just now I realized I'll probably include it in my newspaper column next week. I better stop before I give all my best stuff away for free.