Flood at Chatfield Reservoir in Littleton

The month of May has been an excessively rainy one for Colorado this year.  It rained almost every day, and the high Rockies had snow showers all month long. It is the result of an El Niño weather pattern from the Pacific Ocean and is supposed to last most of the summer.  (All photos and photo collages, in this post, will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

The good news is that the four-year-plus drought that Colorado experienced recently is over, the fire risk is low, and the rain has revitalized the forests and the grasses on the plains that had been affected by the drought, and has filled the reservoirs.

The bad news is the increased risk of flooding if this weather continues longer. As you can see in the photo above, the Chatfield Reservoir is flooded, six to eight feet over its normal level.

The Chatfield Reservoir and dam sit inside Chatfield State Park--a beautiful expanse of open land surrounded by the foothills. There are many miles of hiking and bike trails, a boating marina, fishing, horseback riding, camping, and much wildlife within the park. The reservoir and dam were built by the Army Corps of Engineers, as a response to a disastrous flood that occurred in 1965, and they own and operate it. In addition to flood control, it serves as one of the water supply sources for the city of Denver. Construction of the project began in 1967 and was completed in 1975.

The dam measures approximately 13,136 feet in length, with a maximum height of 147 feet.

The water has a controlled release into the South Platte River on the other side of the dam.

Although it is sad to see many of the park's amenities flooded, as you can see in the photo collage above, I am glad that the reservoir and dam were built so that the combination of excessive rain and snowmelt is not causing the South Platte River to flood. Although the river is running high, so far everything is well controlled. It is sad to see that the same storm system has brought so much flooding and loss of life in the state of Texas and Oklahoma, and the state of California, which is suffering a severe drought, is not getting any of this rainfall.  My house's sump pumps have been working overtime, and I heard a couple of neighbors, who did not have a sump pump, got some water in their basements.  When it rains heavily for hours, flash floods can happen quickly!

Even with the bad weather, there is still beauty to be seen. We spotted a couple of pelicans asleep on a log in the Chatfield Reservoir. They enjoy catching the large and small, wide-mouth bass, crappies, lake trout, and walleye fish that live in the lake.   Over 200 species of birds live or migrate through Chatfield, which makes it a favorite destination for bird watchers.

In my neighborhood, around 7 miles away from the Chatfield Reservoir, we are seeing the creeks and gulches flowing heavily with water from all the rain and mountain snowmelt. Everything in our valley is so beautifully green from all the moisture.  New life is abundant in Spring, and along a trail I spotted a deer, lying under a lilac tree, who was about to give birth!

One thing is for sure: a month of rain makes one yearn for and anticipate seeing blue skies and the shining sun to appear again! I will appreciate the beautiful weather of summer even more than ever this year.

How has the weather been in your area this Spring?

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The National World War II Museum

My husband and I took a trip to New Orleans in February (you can read part one and part two on these highlighted links, and a side trip to antebellum plantations on this link), and one of the places we visited was the highly acclaimed National World War II Museum. located in the central business district of New Orleans, Louisiana, at 945 Magazine Street.  Museum exhibits offer visitors an opportunity to experience the war through the eyes of the men and women who lived it. Interactives, oral histories, personal vignettes all add a very meaningful perspective to a visit.

(All photos, and photo collages, in this post, can be enlarged for easier viewing if clicked on)

As we were staying in a hotel in the French Quarter, we took a streetcar a few stops across town to the museum. As you can see from the collage above, the museum is ranked by Trip Advisor as the number 1 attraction in New Orleans, and as the number 4 museum in the country, and the number 11th in the world! You can see a model of the museum building in the lower right corner of the photo collage.
The 4D movie we saw on our visit was called "Beyond All Boundaries," narrated by actor Tom Hanks.  The movie is an optional feature, but I highly recommend it as a refresher to the history of WWII. It is shown in a specially built theater that makes the film "come alive" with many effects. A preview of this movie can be seen on this Youtube link.

The museum has been designated by Congress as the official WWII Museum of the United States. It is located on a 6-acre campus and presently consists of five soaring pavilions that house historical exhibits, on-site restoration work, a period dinner theater, and restaurants. The construction of two more pavilions is planned in the coming years.

Actual vehicles and equipment used in the war are on display in one of the pavilions... 

Some of the land vehicles on display...

...and some of the airplanes, used in the war, are also on display, hanging from the high ceiling.

An elevator takes you up to one of two levels, where you can walk along gangplanks and see the airplanes and other exhibits.

On level two you are at eye level with the airplanes...

 ..and level three you look down on the airplanes--it is a wonderful way to see their size and all their details.

There are also actual jackets worn by the WWII pilots of the airplanes on display, along with stories about the missions they flew.

Another optional feature we experience was the Final Mission of the USS Tang Submarine. in this intimate and personal experience 27 visitors per "patrol" are given a "watch bill" representing a specific crew member, and many will be "enlisted" to perform specific tasks to navigate through the battle. My husband and I manned the torpedo launches. At the end of the experience, the visitors will find out if they were among those lost or one of the few survivors of the sea battle.

The submarine fleet  made up just 1.6% of the Navy, but it destroyed more enemy ships than any other single type of vessel
.

Another feature of the museum is a "train ride" where you are picked up from your home town and sent off to report for service in the armed forces.

After disembarking the train you go to a kiosk where you get the "dog tags" and description for a soldier that you can now follow through the exhibits.

 The 3D walkthrough exhibits of the war-torn battle areas of both Europe and the Pacific were mesmerizing to the walkthrough! You find out the role the person, whose dog tag you carry, played in the war.  It makes the experience very personal.

There were many short films to watch and many artifacts on display

At the end of these exhibits, one could listen to actual recordings of WWII veterans telling their personal stories of their experiences in the war, in the Oral History Database.  You can also listen to a few featured on the web site on this link.  There was also a database for the Medal of Honor recipients of WWII.

All of the United States services were represented-- the Marines, the Army, the Air Force. the Coast Guard, and the Merchant Marines.

On this Memorial Day weekend let us remember the 407,316 brave men and women who gave all for our country during their service in World War II.

The number of deaths and wounded around the world of both military and civilians as a result of WWII is mind staggering. Let us hope and pray that there will be an end to all war. That all countries, religions, races can one day learn to live in peace!

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