college graduation

 Our college graduate!  The graduation was held downtown at the FedEx Forum.  Loren is now has a bachelor's degree in education.  The day after graduation she drove herself to Austin, TX -- stayed with a friend of ours who moved there 3 years ago, and put in applications.  She just called and said she's been offered a job with "Bright Horizons" to start in 2 weeks, working with toddlers -- the job pays a living wage, includes health benefits, and education reimbursement to get a masters or Montessori certification.  She is so excited.  She'll be staying with our friends for a month or two until she makes sure it's where she wants to be and that she can afford her own place, etc.  I'm glad she'll have that safety net while she's far from home.  Graduation was initially scheduled for that Saturday afternoon, but 3 days before that they had to reschedule it for Sunday (Mother's Day) at 5 because the Memphis Grizzlies ended up with a play-off game there on Saturday and I guess it took priority.

While we were downtown for the graduation we walked down to the river to see it close to its historic crest -- 47.8 feet (flood stage is 34 feet).

All but the very highest part of Mud Island with the flags (a river-themed park with a scale wade-able model of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico) is all under water.  Memphis sits on a high bluff, and usually the river is far below this road, but here it is right there, almost up to the street.

There were thousands of people milling about the river, all there to see the high water.  There were lots of police for safety -- the river current is tremendously strong and dangerous, but looks very deceptive up close and out of towners often think they can just wade in.  There were news reporters all over the place.  Normally there is a huge barbecue cooking contest at Tom Lee Park right on the river, part of Memphis in May -- but the park was submerged (the first time in my life time) and the contest had to be moved east to "Tiger Lane", where people tailgate for the UofM football games at the coliseum.