Flood

   Wednesday we drove 45 miles east to Owatonna.  We checked into the Riverside RV park about Noon.  It is located on the Straight River which is normally under 10 foot wide.   It was higher because the area experienced 5 inches a few days before.
    Our campsite was spread with pea-gravel which probably covered any mud that was there.  The tires sunk in some but it was ok.  Our area was a low area so water was standing all around.  I shoveled small trenches to help the water drain away.  Overnight most of the standing sunk in or moved elsewhere. The next day we had more rain.  Friday night the rain started in earnest about 9pm.  It continued as we went to bed.
     About midnight, R woke me up saying "There's lights outside."  When we looked out I saw that the tenters camped out by the river were packing up.  I got up.  I walked over to the camp host trailer and talked with them.  They were concerned.  The owners were concerned.  Both were driving around with their golf carts.   Finally it was decided that the river was going to flood and it was time to telll everyone to leave.
    It was 1:15am when I opened the trailer door and said, "Hey R, get dressed, we're leaving.  I was walking in 3-4 inches of water as I got the trailer ready to hitch.  Soon the slides came in, the back legs were cranked up, I backed the truck under the hitch.  Once hitched, I moved the rig forward to get it off the boards that the tires were on, threw them into the bed and we were ready to go.
    At 2 am we pulled out of the campground and unto the paved county road.  We drove for w hours and parked in front of R's sisters house in Fairmont at 3:45am.
    Saturday afternoon we got an email from Riverview RV with an update on the flood.  At that time there was 3 ft of water where we were parked and 1 ft at the gate to the highway entrance.  They offered free camping for the nights missed for 2017 or refunds to those from outside the area.  A classy thing to do.