my dyalog: Family

Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

January 8

Posted in 365 Project, cat, Family, landscapes, nature, photography, photos, sunset on 6:19 PM by Dyana

The Boy
Rockin' the Oakleys.
Camera: iPhone 4, Hipstamatic

The Cat
Our chatterbox cat, Chloë, relaxing on the bed. She's rarely still, so shots of her are usually a bit blurred.
Camera: iPhone 4

The Tree
Sunset before the year's first snow.
Camera: iPhone 4

Here's to the 365 Project!

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Reality Check

Posted in Ciudad Anahuac, Don Martin, Family, Flooding, God, Hurricane Alex, Mexico, Prayers, Red Cross, Rodriguez, Venustiano Carranza dam on 7:28 PM by Dyana

In the northern part of Mexico there is a small town in the state of Nuevo Laredo called Ciudad Anáhuac. This town has a sister city just down the road and over a bridge. The town is called Rodriguez, and it was my dad's hometown. This is where his parents built a home, raised a family, entertained grandchildren, loved and lost a son, and later, where my grandfather was laid to rest.

It is the place that my dad still calls home, even after more than forty years of being in the States.

It is where I cracked open my uncle's skull when I caught him with a rock I was throwing into a pool for him and his friends to retrieve.

It is where my beloved grandmother gave me her beautiful gold ring so that I wouldn't feel left out when my brother was taken to the town fair and I was left behind.

It is where I learned of my somewhat [in]famous heritage.

It is where we mourned the passing of my uncle and my grandfather.

It is where I spent countless summers watching my grandmother make her amazing flour tortillas fresh for every meal. Where I watched her chase a chicken around the yard, shoo dogs out of the house, and toil lovingly and endlessly at the myriad of chores that made up life in this small, humble home.

It is a place that is currently under water.

This past weekend my parents traveled to Mexico to participate in the first Communion of their God daughter, my niece Alexandra. While there, they witnessed the mass damage caused by torrential rains in Monterrey and neighboring towns. The incessant rain from Hurricane Alex and it's remnants had beaten this metropolis into a soggy pulp. But that could not prepare them for what awaited them to the north.

On Monday, they made their way to my dad's hometown of Rodriguez to spend a few days with my grandmother and uncles. They arrived to a house full of people thrilled to see them and settled in for what they hoped would be a relaxing few days among family. As they settled in for dinner, city officials arrived to announce a mandatory evacuation of both Anáhuac and Rodriguez. The reason for the evacuation? The area dam, known officially as the Venustiano Carranza dam, but called Don Martín by the locals, was so full that it was at risk of breaking. Rather than deal with such a catastrophe, government officials opted to begin controlled releases of the overflow by opening twenty of the dam's twenty six floodgates. This meant releasing six hundred cubic meters of water per second into two small, humble towns made up on about forty five hundred homes and eighteen thousand people. Effectively, it meant flooding the towns. This would occur until the reservoir's water levels returned to more normal levels, and considering that the water from several tributaries was still gushing in from coastal rains brought on by another tropical depression, we were talking at least a week. I don't know if you can conceive what that looks like. I know I couldn't.

Then I found these images at www.milenio.com.

This first one is a before shot of the street where my grandmother lives, along with two uncles, one of which lives there with his wife and three daughters. Her house is the pink one on the right.

Photograph by Francisco Cantu

This second shot is from the next morning, after the dam's floodgates had been open for what I'm guessing is about twelve hours. You can see the house is nearly submerged in the dam's runoff.

Photograph by Francisco Cantu

This last image provides a side view of the land on which my grandmother's home sits. You'll note there is a second story structure towards the back of the property. This second story room sits on stilts of a sort and is taller than the original home. While the water had not yet reached this elevated room, keep in mind these images were shot not long after the dam draining process was started. I suspect it has since been submerged.

Photograph by Francisco Cantu

As for the bridge that connected these two cities? It's gone. Washed away in the raging waters released from the dam.

Even as I look at these images, I am unable to wrap my head around the complete devastation and loss. I hurt for my grandmother, who has spent a lifetime in this house, working tirelessly to make it a home and welcome refuge for all who entered. She has not seen these images, and I think it is just as well. She is currently staying in San Antonio with one of my aunts, and has my dad nearby to provide anything she may need. And while I'm sure she is grateful to be safe and dry, I also suspect she misses her home.

As for me? I am grateful that she is safe, that my parents were there to quickly mobilize the family and bring all our loved ones to safety. I am grateful for God's grace and mercy. I am humbled and reminded of what is truly important in life. And I am moved to action. I have begun exploring ways to help the people of these towns. More on this to come.

Here's to a reality check and doing something to help.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Small Town Fairs

Posted in carnival, carnival food, fair, Family, Friends, funnel cakes, main street, rides, small town, theatre on 11:58 AM by Dyana

This weekend, our small town had one of it's many annual street fairs, the newly renamed Outdoor Adventure Days, formerly known as Main Street Days. Truth be told, I like the old name better. Gave it a more small town feel.

The fair is held on the historic part of our town's Main Street, in the heart of downtown Grapevine. A perfect spot with it's old timey shop façades, small boutique shopping and mostly non-franchised dining choices. The streets are blocked off, the booths, mostly food, drink, and arts and crafts, are brightly lit to attract and lure the merry fair goers.

Despite an exhausting bout with allergies this week, I put on a happy face and joined my husband and some friends the first night, and family the second night. Despite the sneezing and stuffy head, I had a great time. There's something about carnival food, bright lights, and the peal of children laughing as they are spun into dizzy oblivion that just makes me feel better, no matter how much my sinuses try to rain on my parade.

We started our small town fair adventure with my husband snapping a rare shot of me without a camera in front of my face.

I quickly reclaimed my camera to shoot this delightful shot of our friend Steve and his precious daughter Sofia.

Sofia is quite the ham. Can you tell?

The art and craft booths had awesome things you could buy; this particular ensemble caught my eye. If I had a stick figure, I'd totally buy this. And wear it. Often.

No street fair is complete without at least one Funnel Cake booth. In the case of our small town fairs, there's usually three or four.

Fair goers love their funnel cake.

One of the things I love about the street fairs in our small town is that the shops and restaurants all stay open later than usual, and the places are all lit up, which gives them a special charm.

Window shopping is especially fun - the windows all look fantastic. And I just love the little outfit on the right, hat and all.

The skirt on the right in this window? LOVE IT. WANT IT. Will need to lose 100 pounds to wear it.

And then there's the midway. No street fair is complete without it.

The only ride my stuffed head could manage was the Ferris Wheel, which afforded a lovely shot of the fair grounds from way on high.

This little girl caught my heart, her eyes big as saucers and probably terrified of the flying machine ride, but determined to ride nonetheless.

Our friends Steve and Sofia also felt the urge to fly.

After Steve and Sofia returned to terra firma, our other friend Rusty volunteered to take Sofia for a bumper car ride.

Sofia eyed their next target with sheer glee.

The next day, we hit the fair again, but this time with family. My nephew, Hilton, shooting for a giant, stuffed basketball. He missed.

My husband, tongue between his lips, faired no better than Hilton.

Neither did Kim, my sister in law. Hmm. She had her tongue between her lips too. A family trait, maybe?

And then there's this face. She wanted no part of shooting hoops. She had her mind set on bigger things.

There was the roller coaster. Fearless.

Yeah. Fearless. Until you get off looking like this.

Thank God that look isn't permanent.

Next on the ride agenda, Wipeout. Which is what Hilton looked like when the thing started moving backwards for him. We thought for sure Kevin and Heidi would be wearing his lunch.