Our Trip to Joplin Today

...was amazing...devastating...promising and hopeful all wrapped up in one enormous bundle of bonded humanity and American pride. Here is a photographic journey through parts of our day. I didn't take my big camera out much because I wanted to be respectful of those affected by this monster storm. Click to view larger. Most of these were taken with my son's P&S.

 Loved the side of this semi-truck.

Toiletries and personal hygiene items, water, and cardboard boxes.

A few of the crew:

Only the beginning of the organizational processing of clothing:

It was spread across the whole upper level:

Mick and I were a momma and her four kiddos who lost their home find some basic essentials while we were sorting. Mick helped this little lady find her "new" ruby red slippers. She was so excited! It pulled on our heartstrings. Wish our boys would've been there to witness this.

And these were her brother's new kicks:

Mick and I during a brief break:

Lots of roadside makeshift grills-with free food and water for victims and volunteers:

Entering into the Green Zone: (Meaning some greenery still standing)

The Red Zone in the far distance:

The Red Zone-where we dispensed the water and the dry food to several families. Note the American flags placed in a conspicuous spot. Surely a message to us all that we Americans are proud and stick together!

Came across many like this, with info sprayed on home articles for notification to Search and Rescue, insurance companies, and family looking for their loved ones. Happy that this one had a positive message:

People lined up their valuables and any salvageable items and placed them near the front of their driveways. Mick and I both got a little emotional of this site: a drum set. (We recently purchased a used one for our boys, so this struck a chord with us). Love that another flag made it into my pics (rear view mirror).

Found many flags scattered throughout the sites. Some were broken and tattered and still placed in areas where they could fly proudly in defiance as if to say, "Don't Tread on Me. We've been knocked down, but we'll rise again."

Countless trees looked like this, reminiscent of an enormous golf divot with a tee attached.

The following pics were taken on our way home. Notice the flag is at half-mast and is tattered by still waving in all of it's glory.Love that.

These are out of order, but were a series of pics I actually took with my big camera on the way in to town.

Ironically this church bus and the "Operation Blessing" semi-truck ended up at the very same relief center.

Thankfully, this part of town was not devastated as many hotels are located here. All of which are housing victims.

Would type more know, but I'm done. Emotionally and physically day. Severe weather on our weather so it's sure to be another sleepless night. Prayers to those in Joplin, OK, Texas and other locales hit by this week's tornadoes and to those in Tuscaloosa.