This summer is different.....

Yes, I'm feeling like this is a different summer. Last week I went to walk around the river and this is the sign that I encountered.(above) There were still people walking and riding bikes, so I asked a few of them what was going on. One couple said that you couldn't  walk the whole 11 miles around, because the water was up too high and you just couldn't get through. And then another runner said that she thought you could get through - she just went around the signs. I had to see for myself!  So the following pics are what I saw.  I was surprised to see my beloved trail so flooded over!  I have never seen this in the last 5 or so years that I have been coming here.  I also talked to a guy that said he hadn't seen such flooding in the 15 + years that HE has been walking here - so this was all very strange to me.

Then I decided to talk to the Ranger guy that runs Confluence Park. He told me that this wasn't the worst it has ever been.  He showed me a picture of  the flooding in 1995 and it did indeed look worse. Then he told me that they try to keep Lake Roosevelt (up north by Coulee Dam) almost empty, because they expect a lot of quick run off from the snow in the mountains.  That tells me that they had more snow then usual this last winter! Yes, I knew it was a colder than normal winter! Whenever I tell my husband that - he just rolls his eyes......yea..yea..
Anyways, I asked the ranger guy - 'why don't we ever hear about this stuff in the papers?' I do try to read or at least skim over the local newspapers.  He just shrugged and said that it must not be big news to anybody.  Hmmmmmmmmmm....it's big news to me! 
 My son and his wife were just visiting from Oakland, CA  and they were laughing about all the funny stuff that is printed in a small town newspaper.
 Example:  While on patrol at 8:56pm Saturday, an officer observed a motorist in an alleyway behind Pioneer Muffler in the 500 block of Basin St. NW.  The driver said he was looking for a used section of exhaust pipe.
Well, that's really important for us all to know! ....not.....
 I told my son and daughter-in-law that at least we don't have a lot of terrible crimes to report. (like they do in the big city)  Yep, they agreed with me on that one.