More than just an overnight guest

If you lived near the Mississippi River in 1993, you may have had an unwanted guest — namely: Mississippi floodwater.   

But there were some other guests that came with the floodwater and for Annie and me, one of those guests became more than just an overnight guest.

I am referring to “Oscar,” a huge snapping turtle, who is still a guest as I write this column, nearly 30 years later. More about Oscar in a minute.

In the “Flood of ’93,” floodwater from the Mississippi River “crept” more than seven miles upstream on Piasa Creek and eventually flooded Annie’s horse barn and pastures.   

The water was there for three weeks. 

While the human caregivers were inconvenienced by having to use john boats to get to and from the barn, the horses thought this floodwater deal was pretty cool: the idea of being able to step outside their stalls and have a beach at their doorstep was beyond their wildest dreams.