Hope, Hope, Hope

Aw jeez. Things are not looking good.

The Red River in Fargo, ND is now expected to crest between today and tomorrow morning at 43 feet. It's already surpassed the 112-year old record from 1897. Most of the dikes have been built up to 41 feet, which does not look to be high enough. And with the crest expected to last from 3-7 days, it's anyone's guess whether the dikes can withstand that constant pressure for so long.

It makes me so proud that I am from ND - where people come together so selflessly in times of crisis. Johnson Drive, the street on which my grandparents lived and I spent the most time growing up, is where I learned what it means to be a good neighbor. A good citizen. Yes, it's true that sometimes we Northern folk like to keep to ourselves, and we aren't the most outgoing and genial people. Most of us are more "matter-of-fact" straight talkers who don't get overly dramatic. But when someone we know is in trouble, we are steadfast and true. We rise to the challenge. There is no whining.

It's been amazing to hear, first hand, about the incredible efforts the people of Fargo are putting forth in order to keep their town safe, their neighbors safe, strangers safe. And I'm hoping, maybe against hope, that the river won't crest as high as predicted, and the dikes will hold, and the town will remain safe and dry.