Spring in Montana

The rivers are running big and brown around the state. It is the hot topic for media. Snowpack and runoff are reaching all sorts of records and predictions are for the rivers to stay high for quite some time. The northeastern, eastern and now the central parts of Montana are flooding. Most folks predict the flows to be as high if not higher than the record year of 1997.

But really, the stuff we're seeing around here pales in comparison to the other major disasters around the country. My thoughts go out to all the people affected in Joplin, MO.

The Campbell clan has been busy enjoying the out of doors as much as possible. The lawn is all greened up and going apeshit, requiring multiple mowings per week. The first batch of homemade compost was applied to some of the garden beds. Finally, that stuff takes a long time to make.

And best of all our chickens are plumping right up. Yep, chickens. The peeping chicks slid into the household while I was zonked during post surgery. Oh that T, she's a smart one. We've lost 2 out of the 5, most likely due to the fact they've been living outside during some cold temps this spring. I think that might make them taste better.

On my knee- I am recovering well and making progress every week. It's slow progress but good. I returned to work after almost seven weeks. I'll have another month until I can return to regular duty. The road is long, but I can see the light at the other end. I'm grinding out my 6 days a week of leg exercises and almost enjoying it. I'm cleared to ride trails that are less steep, but hey at least it's outside. Watching the flat screen in front the basement spin bike was getting a little stale. I've also finally got back on the weights, I see lots of squats in my future.

Back to the outdoors, everyone has been enjoying the blast of life that has hit the valley. I'm reminded how much I love spring in Montana every year. Lilacs and fruit trees spill forth the color that we've missed for the long winter months. Hopefully you too are out enjoying spring and getting after it. Check back soon for some lively Montana spring pictures. Cheers

Earthquake memories

I recently watched the Discovery Channel's Megaquake: The Hour that Shook Japan and was absolutely floored. I don't think I had sat with my mouth agape and said "whoa" so many times. It brought back some memories of living in the quake ridden zone of California. If you get the chance, search your DVR and record the Megaquake show.

I grew up in Southern Cal and thought that I had felt some big quakes, but obviously nothing close to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011 and the tsunami that followed, resulting in more than 12,000 deaths. The destruction and devastation is heart breaking. There are serious changes that where imparted by this quake, some areas have sank as much as 4 feet and now flood during high tide from the now closer sea.

As everyone knows there have been 3 major earthquakes since last February: Christchurch in New Zealand was rocked by a 6.3 quake that killed 166 people; 550 people died after Chile was hit in February 2010 by an 8.8. Japan's 8.9 earthquake was the highest ever recorded in Japan, compared to the 8.3 Great Kanto Earthquake in Tokyo in 1923, which killed more than 140,000 people. The well known and reputable organizations could use your help, but watch where you donate they're not all equal.

Back to the SoCal quakers....for any of you out there following from that neck of the woods. This might pique your interest. Do you remember those big shakers back in 1992? Anyone have any good stories/memories out there? I definitely vividly remember the night of June 28th 1992. I thought that might be "the big one", really I did. I had been through other earth quakes and they had always been pretty short.

However, on that night the Landers 7.3 quake shook for 2 to 3 mintues! I got shook awake, laid there for a bit, then finally decided I had better get out of bed. It kept going and then I moved under the doorway, still going....I ran down stairs as the whole house swayed back and forth, pictures crashing off the stairwell wall. As I ran downstairs, I made way for the backdoor, hoping the outdoors might be calmer. As I looked around my whole family was out there. Best of all my dad stood there, naked as a jay-bird, hand over his swaying....er stuff. If I remember right there were several other aftershocks that night, making us all pretty edgy. Then that morning another one centered less than 10 miles away at 6.5 scared the crap out of us.

1992	April 23		1:50	Joshua Tree	6.1			1992 Joshua Tree earthquake
1992	June 28		04:57	Landers	7.3			1992 Landers earthquake
1992	June 28		08:05	Big Bear	6.5			1992 Big Bear earthquake
1994	Jan 17		04:30	Northridge	6.7			1994 Northridge earthquake

Anyway, thanks for following some old earthquake memories. If you've got any of your own, we'd love to hear them. As for anything shaking in Montana, I think I've felt a few tremors but nothing serious. The main thing we have to worry about here is the Yellowstone Caldera, at least the wind always blows from the west though. We'll be fine right?

Check out this crazy, scary video of some POV tsunami footage.