After reporting about the Red River last week and mentioning that we will have to watch the Des Lacs, well, that is precisely what is happening.

Now that the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority has publicly said it is releasing twice the water it previously anticipated, we are going to get hit pretty hard here in Carpio and points downstream into Minot.

Normally the Des Lacs River is pretty peaceful and has little cause for concern, but following a news conference in Minot Friday, I'm not so sure. In fact, Ilene, who was evacuated from the '97 flood in Grand Forks, has been wanting protection for more than a week. 

Yesterday, we obtained sandbags and started building a levee around our house. I didn't get much of the farm house torn down this weekend, but at least we aren't going to get water in our basement (where we sleep) should the river spill over its banks.

But oh my goodness, is that hard work. I haven't worked with sandbags since I was a college student in 1989 in Grand Forks. Now, I'm 20 years older and my body isn't in the shape it was back in college. Between 6 p.m. and bedtime, I dropped 8 Advil to ease the soreness. 

We  got it done and Ilene feels better. We were telling neighbors yesterday we hope we don't really need these sandbags, but we put them down anyway because if she and I know human nature, most people are going to wait until the last minute. At that time, our property will be protected and we can then help others in the community who might need it.

On a side note, I checked my garlic patch yesterday and it is still either frozen or under 6 inches of melted snow. Last year I first noticed garlic shoots emerging on March 19. Here it is Palm Sunday, April 5, and the ground is mostly frozen. 

What a strange winter it has been.