My son Aaron and I didn’t plan on ever returning to North Dakota, but we heard about all the flooding in the Red River Valley, so we had to go check it out, despite the dangerous road conditions. We were about ready for an adventure, anyway, and what is an adventure without a little risk involved?

As we got closer to the river, the rain started coming down hard, and the water kept rising. Everything was underwater…everything!

Soon the fields were becoming lakes, and water began creeping up unto the roads. We considered turning around, but we were almost there.

Right after I took this photo, the water started to gush across the road, and I could hardly stand in the 70 mph wind gusts. Now we had no choice but to forge ahead.

This isn’t a lake–it’s farmers’ submerged fields as far as the eye can see. We turned around, defeated by Mother Nature once again.

Driving back (on a different road), it was so other-worldly to be flying down this thin strip of tar in the middle of the ocean. Spooky, even. We might not have made it to the river, but it was the first time in my life that the waves in the ditch were cresting and breaking!

–Photos by me