Montclaire Dr NW

After our trip to the Amanas, we drove around Cedar Rapids to get a first-hand look at the devastation suffered during the recent floods. Having seen footage of boarded up houses following Katrina and other floods, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was taken aback by seeing the destruction in person. We drove down many streets near the river and downtown where all of the homes were condemned. Grandma Righter's childhood home was not effected by the floods, and we drove by to see the house. (Two days before Grandma Righter had visited with the current residents and old neighbors who still live in the area.) Beginning when I was very young, it was a tradition to take a photo in front of the pine tree in the front yard of my grandmother's house. This trip was no exception. The picture below is from a visit we made shortly before moving to England.