You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

Everyone has heard the news on the Missouri River flooding and the efforts being made to protect property along the river. What you don't hear much about is that all the small streams and rivers that empty into it are of course also flooding. Because of the relatively low density of people effected along these small waterways the government isn't able to do much about it so people have to jump in and do it themselves.

As fate would have it, my farm sits on the highest point in my country (Worth MO.) so we are fine and have no worries, however our small town (Denver, Mo.) sits on the banks of the Grand River and it's been out of it's banks for a week or more and is expected to go a lot higher. (Of course the constant rain storms are not helping a bit and we are looking at another major storm today.)

I have a back hoe and have been busy helping neighbors to prepare as best we can for the rising water (We are ahead of it so far). I think I've put more hours on it this week than the two years prior but in a strange way it's been, well not fun but I'll use the word rewarding. Even with all the problems and the urgency people have still been amazingly friendly and helpful. Many can't really help with moving dirt or sand bagging so they have pitched in with meals and any other of the million little things that need to be done.

Today we are about as far as we can go in preperation and now have to just wait and see what happens and I think that is harder than all the work. On the plus side, the corps. is saying the Missouri may not get as high as they predicted so we may come out of it with nothing more than soggy feet. At least we hope that is the case.

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

Good for you and the neighbors. Endure...

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

Good for you, Bubba ... ALWAYS a good feeling when you help someone else, not for fame, glory, or money, just because it is the right thing to do.

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

That is cool Bubba: I do some aerial photography with Civil Air Patrol and flew two missions over the flooding in the northwest corner of TN, and a bit over MO and AR. I've been impressed with what folks have done to protect their homes - it's a lot of work, but many of them seem to have been done VERY well. After our flooding in Middle Tennessee last year I can truly say that I'm sorry for all of the work y'all are having to do.

Best wishes for all of you.

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

OUTSTANDING Bubba!

I always thought it was fun to run the backhoe at my uncles farm. Consequently I would spend a lot of time at the farm doing chores no-one else wanted to do.

But I got to run the backhoe, and for a fourteen year old kid that was all the reward I needed.

I hope Mother nature smiles on your community.

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

It's really cruel that all that water came down the mighty missisip and flooded us down here in LA yet we are in an "exceptional" drought.

We literally have one house underwater and the house next to it where the grass is dry and dead from lack of rain. Go figure.

Oh yea, my dad is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and he owns a backhoe. So I agree. Happy Fathers Day, dad!

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

Well done, Bubba. Living in hurricane country all my life has taught me that the world is full of people just looking for an excuse to do a good deed or two (or more). A true sense of community emerges in these situations and we learn what each other is made of. These lessons are not soon forgotten.

Re: You meet the nicest people on a Back Hoe.

Agreed - last year when Nashville flooded, I was really proud of how well the communities in Middle Tennessee banded together and took care of one another. Some of the clean up is still going on, and our flood wasn't quite the scope of what y'all are dealing with. Don't worry - the EPA will find something to gripe about. They'll find a way to tell you how to flood more environmentally responsibly next time.