Yay for parents!

Hal's parents came and visited us for the weekend on the 12, 13, & 14th. It was so nice to see them and talk to them! We showed them the building where Hal works (visitors aren't ususally allowed inside, unless they're important people to the company...), and wanted to show them the Wichita Falls falls, but they were turned off! And, sadly, Mom Bradbury spent most of Saturday night feeling sick, and then she was really not feeling well Sunday! We felt bad! They flew all the way to Texas to visit us (and Hal's brother Blaine, who lives by/in Dallas), and Mom didn't feel good. Hopefully she's totally and completely healed! It was wonderful to see them though! Love you both!

OK, so the Wichita Falls falls were turned off... huh?
Here's your history lesson, courtesy of Wikipedia:
"A flood in 1886 destroyed the original falls on the Wichita River for which the city was named. After nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the non-existent falls, the city built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 feet high and recirculates at 3,500 gallons per minute."

They made the falls in 1986, and apparently forgot to think about the logistics of pumping water out of the Wichita River. This cracks me up! I just love it! The lady at the Texas travel info center told me that every spring, (and almost any other time it rains) it rains enough that the red clay washes into the river and turns it "red with grit" and they have to turn off the falls. OK. So every spring, apparently, the falls turns off because the pump can't handle the amount of silt in the water.
I just think it's funny that the people here in Wichita Falls didn't think about this problem before they designed the falls. Surely it wasn't a surprise that the river gets all silty EVERY YEAR. And yet, apparently, it was a surprise to many the first year when they had to turn off the falls because the water wasn't pumping through the pump...
What's needed here? A better pump? A better filtering system?

The river is gorgeous though! It's all red and bloody looking... kinda neat! They turned the falls on for a couple hours one day last week, luckily I was driving by to see it, and it seriously looked like blood was cascading down! It was cool!


On a different note, on Tuesday I woke up with a sore throat. This really isn't all that strange to me... I get sore throats a lot. I just take decongestant and drag a little for a couple days. So, I drugged up and went and mowed the lawn.
By Tuesday afternoon, I felt AWFUL! My muscles were all achy (whether from illness or mowing, I wasn't sure), I had a fever, I was sick to my stomach, and it hurt to talk (TRAGIC!!! I live to talk!). Wednesday, I woke up feeling even worse. Today, I must be feeling a little better, cause I'm restless. But I still feel like I've been hit by a truck. Or a train. Whatever awful cold thing I've got, I hope it passes soon! I'm getting sick of being sick!!! :)

Anyways, I hope ya'll have a good week!