I don’t want to get my hopes up or jinx us or anything, but I think we may be done with the worst of winter!! I really, REALLY hope so! But, I’m not going to believe it completely for a while yet since we had a blizzard in May last year. Yes, I said May. But, either way, it has been raining and melting for the last two days. The snow has gone way down in my yard!! Green grass can’t come fast enough!
I know there are people who thoroughly enjoy winter. And I can appreciate their love for the season, but I also can’t help but wonder why they like winter so much. It’s so cold and dreary for most of the six months. I’m definitely not a fan!! I have that same kind of love for spring and summer. The only problem I have with spring and summer is that it is way too short. Moving south surely has its appeal when it comes to being warm for most of the year!
I would guess that most people have a favorite season. Most people up here enjoy summer because it is warm and we don’t have to shovel four feet of snow every other day. There are the select few who really love winter, but they are few and far between. A lot of people in the southern U.S.A. and along the equator enjoy fall and winter because it’s cooler. Summer for them is terribly warm, so I can understand why they prefer the winter months in their areas. Winter there is nothing like winter here though. They usually don’t even get below freezing. I could handle a winter like that!
I think the reason I love spring and summer so much is that it shows a new start. All the plants and flowers are coming out of hibernation and are showing new blossoms. The trees are budding out new leaves and showing life again. People actually want to be outside and enjoy themselves again. It’s a little hard to enjoy being outside when it’s 40 degrees below zero. Just sayin’.
But spring? (insert happy sigh) Spring is amazing. When you see that first robin of the year, you know spring has come. You can hear the light breeze through the freshly budded leaves. You can smell all the fresh grass and wet dirt. You can feel the warmth of the ever-strengthening sun rays on your face. Sometimes a fresh start in the spring is a much needed refresh for everyone’s mind and body. Clean, fresh air is good for the soul!
But, so far, not everyone is having a good spring. I feel absolutely horrible for the people in Nebraska. The farmers there are certainly getting hit hard this spring. They just received what closely resembles a monsoon. Rain followed by mountains of snow and hurricane type winds followed by more rain. My heart feels like someone took a sledge hammer to it when I see the pictures of the devastation ravaging their homes and farms. Those farms are their livelihoods.
I’m seeing videos of farmers literally digging their cattle out from under the massive snow drifts and snow piles. The pictures of the towns being evacuated due to the flooding just tear at my heart. These people are being evacuated as quickly as possible, but some are still not making it out in time.
And the farmers who depend on the cattle for their income for the entire year?? What are they going to do?? Many of them have lost most, if not all, of their cattle due to the flooding and the blizzard. Most of these farmers are in the middle of calving season. That means that brand new babies are being born under these horrible weather conditions. I know it is killing these farmers to see their animals going through this. They are doing everything possible to move their herds to higher, drier ground. But it’s a little difficult to do that when the flood waters are rising so fast and the whole state is under water. Where are they going to go? They have nowhere to go, and most have already lost all their possessions. They don’t even have a usable truck anymore to pull a trailer of cattle if they could get through the roads.
And then there is the issue of the roads. Most are washed out. Complete and total loss. Many bridges have been seen floating away from the roadways they were supposed to be connecting. How are they going to get anywhere? Even the emergency crews are pretty much stuck where they are. The only modes of transportation at the moment are boat and helicopter. The National Guard has been called in to help evacuate people. There are not enough hands to help with the work. And the first responders, officers, and other emergency personnel? They are out helping people while their own homes are being devastated as well. Those are some of the most selfless people anyone will ever encounter. They are willing to put their own needs and welfare aside to help others in need. They all deserve our utmost respect and appreciation. This country would be a total wreck without them.
This doesn’t even come close to explaining what is going on there. And it’s not just Nebraska that is getting hit. Colorado and the Dakotas have also gotten hit, but all the water that they received is being dumped into Nebraska courtesy of the mountains and the southward travel of the rivers. Nebraska is in real trouble and I don’t see it ending any time soon. Natural disasters are some of the worst things to have to work through. If you’ve never had to deal with one, or the aftermath of one, consider yourself extremely blessed.
Please keep the farmers and people of Nebraska in your thoughts and prayers. They will need all of them for a very long time. The economic impact of this alone will have a monumental effect on the entire country. But the farmers and citizen of these Nebraska towns will be feeling the effects for years, if not for the rest of their lives. This is going to be something that some of them may never recover from. My broken heart goes out to them. If there is any way possible that any of you could help with the recovery, please do it. I don’t even know anyone in Nebraska, but my heart is just as broken as it would be if it was my own home and farm or a family member’s home. I can’t even explain how gut-wrenching the pictures and videos are. Farmers are strong people, but sometimes even the strong ones need help and encouragement. I think now is the perfect time for both of those things.
Please help if you can.
Imperfection At Its Finest 