Brainerd, MN

The time will soon be arriving for young women to make a decision on this year's pageant participation. There have been serveral contestant meeting so far and we have 15 contestants to date. Anyone still intested in participating should contact Vicki Randall at 219 851-4808 or Kathleen Lordbock 218-829-0339. Prefer to email?

Vicki: vrandall_msbrd_lakes@hotmail.com

Kathleen: resaledesign@gmail.com

Our current Miss Brainerd Lakes is a diabetic and her platform is Beautifully Broken

Emily Wyman, 2008 Miss Brainerd Lakes was diagnosed at age 7 with Type 1 diabetes, which occurs when a cell causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin. Emily Wyman, who got her insulin pump when she was 12, plans to study nursing and eventually become a diabetes educator. Her platform for the Miss Minnesota Pageant this summer is diabetes and explaining that if it's under control it doesn't have to control you.

See photos of the sandbagging efforts and view the Fargo/Moorhead flood area

Despite everyone's best efforts to keep up with the rising waters, in some areas there is already dike failure and subsequent flooding. The volunteers are growing weary but fresh replacements are still coming in. With the evacuations , there will be less time spend on rescue efforts as there will be less to rescue. There will always be those who stay in their homes risking their lives and those of their rescuers. No one knows exactly how long the waters will keep rising and how long the crest will be sustained.

Update: Officials are now indicating that the crest has been reached and for the most part the sandbags are holding.

click link for real time views below

Time lapse images here

The Red River has reached its highest stage in 112 years. Yesterday many buses went out from Brainerd/ Baxter MN from our Greater Lakes Association of REALTORS parking lot and from many area churches filled with volunteers. Their main goal was to fill and place as many sandbags as humanly possible to hold back the waters. Tired and wet, they came home late last evening as these communities began to call for evacualtions. Fargo is now under mandatory evacuation and Moorhead (lenient MN style) evacuation is highly recommended. The sewer systems are failing and drinkable water is a problem. Rescues are now being made by chopper and all types of boats.

Baby, that ice water is sure cold!!!

OK, so we are in the middle of another Minnesota snowstorm and I have white on my brain, Anyhu - here I go.

A monochromatic background needs some skillful help to not be perceived as bland. Various shades of white with loads of textures will keep it interesting. Texture will add a dimension to an otherwise flat color scheme - now you see depth and definition. Keeping it still neutral - you can bring in organic materials from the natural world outside , which is quite plentiful here in Northern Minnesota and for the most part free. Some pieces of wooden furniture sprinkled with age and wear add character, worn upholstery on the other hand is just tacky and altogether gross. Can you add rustic pieces to a sleek modern design? Please do! It will help the over all impression to go from cold to comfortable.

As soon as the snow melts (again) I will be starting my forest quest hunting for flowering branches and pussy willows. Add in some slender reeds, budding cat tails and native grasses. However, it doesn't look like that will be anytime in the near future.

photo by randysonofrobert

June of 2001, twin twister sisters hit our home, horse stable and roofing business. Life is still in the "picking up the pieces" stage but no human lives were lost. Because I know from experience how quickly and how efficiently tornadoes can kill and destroy everything in its path I will continue posting about our experience to get the information out.

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.

Tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.

Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

The following are facts about tornadoes:

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.
• Do not take shelter in your vehicle

According to data from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, 49 of the 705 deaths - about 7% - attributed to tornadoes from 1997 to 2007 were people who were in vehicles when the storm struck.

"They can cover more ground that you can in your car, so unless you know you are moving away from the tornado the best thing you can do is find a strong structure," said weather service meteorologist Andy Foster. Nothing in sight, then hit the ditch or lowest spot you can find and get face down.