Arc DTriomphe France

Atlanta 5thRunway

Arizona Mountains

Arc DTriomphe France

Anchorage Skyline Evening

Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) , is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.

The modern name, Angkor Wat, in use by the 16th century,means "City Temple": Angkor is a vernacular form of the word nokor which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (capital), while wat is the Khmer word for temple. Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok, after the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II.

Anchorage Skyline Evening

Anasazi Colorado USA

In the American Southwest, there is no more puzzling mystery than the magnificent stone cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. Why did the Anasazi Indians suddenly move their villages to these perilous cliffs in the 13th century--and then abandon them just decades later--and seemingly disappear from history? Was it drought? Invading tribes? Or an insidious "cancer" from within that may have caused them to turn to fierce warfare and even cannibalism? In search of answers, our host, the intrepid explorer and survival expert Josh Bernstein, travels from Mesa Verde, Colorado to remote canyons in Utah where the Anasazi took refuge. Piecing together the story from both archaeologists and Native Americans, he finally ends up, in his search for the truth, in the eerie and desolate ruins of the Anasazi's greatest cultural center--Chaco Canyon. more travel

Amsterdam H Europe

Stephen Stills in Amsterdam - Concert in the Paradiso October 2008. A Song from the first set. (Change partners) Great - just recovering from cancer & 63 years old. Keep on rockin'

Amalfi Coast

America Land of Liberty full version from the publisher, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it. Software piracy is theft, Using

password, serial numbers, registration codes, key generators is illegal and prevent future development of America Land of Liberty 1.0 Edition. Download links are directly from our mirror sites or publisher sites, torrent files

The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy (Province of Salerno), extending from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. The towns lying on the Amalfi Coast are Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Ravello, Scala, Atrani, Amalfi, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Praiano and Positano.

Alesund Norway

Take trip to the beautiful town in Western Norway, Aalesund. This movie shows the view from the famous viewpoint Fjellstua.


26. March 2008 a tragedy in Aalesund happened. Someone I know have lost his parents. A friend of someone I know is also missing. Yesterday I was able to see the smoke from our window, I live 15 min from where it happened. Most of the people got out in time...The whole started at the night, a mountain felled over a block of flats. five people is still inside the block and can't be saved. They say that it will be fire till at least over the weekend.
The block is still mooving and it might fall over...It's also dangerous to go inside the block because it's so much gas that the block can get a explosion.

Albuquerque Bridge Mex

Albuquerque , Spanish IPA: known as Bee'eldííldahsinil in Navajo) is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 518,271 as of July 1, 2007 U.S. census estimates and ranks as the 34th-largest city in the U.S. As of June 2007, the city was the 6th fastest growing in America. With a metropolitan population of 845,913 as of July 1, 2008, Albuquerque is the 59th-largest United States metropolitan area. The Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Kirtland Air Force Base and the Sandia National Laboratories and Petroglyph National Monument. The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of Albuquerque, and the Rio Grande flows through the city, north to south.

Adelaide South Australia

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St. Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, between the Gulf St. Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. It is roughly 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to the foothills but sprawls 90 km (56 mi) from Gawler at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south.

Named in honour of Queen Adelaide who was born in Germany, the consort of King William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens in the area originally inhabited by Indigenous Australians of the Kaurna tribe. Light's design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by parkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties, which led to world-first reforms.

Today, Adelaide is noted for its festivals including the Adelaide Fringe, sporting events such as the Tour Down Under, food and wine culture as featured in the Barossa Valley, long beachfronts and large defence and manufacturing sectors, including car manufacturer Holden. It continues to rank high as a livable city within the world, being in the Top 10 in The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities index.[4] As South Australia's seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevard of North Terrace, King William Street and in various districts of the metropolitan area.

Governance

Parliament House, Adelaide on North Terrace houses the Parliament of South Australia

The Adelaide metropolitan area is divided between eighteen local government areas, including, at its centre, the City of Adelaide, which administers the CBD, North Adelaide, and the surrounding Adelaide Parklands. It is the oldest municipal authority in Australia and was established in 1840, when Adelaide and Australia's first mayor, James Hurtle Fisher, was elected. From 1919 onwards, the City has had a Lord Mayor, the current being Lord Mayor Michael Harbison.

Adelaide, as the capital of South Australia, is the seat of the Government of South Australia. As Adelaide is South Australia's capital and most populous city, the State Government co-operates extensively with the City of Adelaide. In 2006, the Ministry for the City of Adelaide was created to facilitate the state government's collaboration with the Adelaide City Council and the Lord Mayor to improve Adelaide's image. The state parliament's Capital City Committee^[21] is also involved in the governance of the City of Adelaide, being primarily concerned with the planning of Adelaide's urban development and growth.

More information

Adare Manor

Adare Manor is a 19th century manor house located on the banks of the River Maigue in the village of Adare, County Limerick, Ireland, the former seat of the Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, now a luxury resort hotel, the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort.

The Quins, whose ancestors were Chiefs of the Clan Hy Ifearnan, gave their name to Inchiquin and also became Earls of Dunraven, and are one of the rare families of true Gaelic origin in the Irish peerage. Thady Quin (born 1645), who settled in Adare, County Limerick, was the ancestor of Valentine Quin who, between 1720 and 1730, built the first Quin manor at Adare by the River Maigue.

He was the grandfather of Valentine Richard Quin (1732 - 1824), 1st Earl of Dunraven. Windham Henry (1782 - 1850), married an heiress from Wales, Valentine Richard Quin, MP for Killmallock 1799 - 1800, who was created a Baronet of Great Britain in 1781 and was raised to the peerage in 1800 as Baron Adare of Adare. He was advanced to a Viscountcy in 1816 as Viscount Mount Earl and became Viscount Adare and the first Earl of Dunraven and Mount-earl on 5 February, 1822. He had presumably chosen the title of ‘Dunraven’ in honour of his daughter-in-law, Caroline Wyndham, who had married his eldest son in 1810. His earldom lasted only two years and in 1824 his son, Windham Henry Quin, became the 2nd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-earl. The family name had officially become Wyndham-Quin in 1815. Gout prevented him from following the gentlemanly pursuits of fishing and shooting. Instead, with his wife, he rebuilt his home, turning it into a colossal Tudor manor. They built the new house around the existing one, which had to be demolished when the work reached its final stages.

Valentine's son, Edwin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven, designed the garden. He was a prominent archæologist. Thady Wyndham Quin, 7th Earl of Dunraven (b. 1940), unable to bear the expense of maintaining Adare Manor, sold it and its contents in 1984 for a reputed 2 million. It is now a hotel and golf course. Thady Quin, who was crippled by polio while a schoolboy, lives with his family in a nearby house. Adare remained the home of the Earl of Dunraven until it was sold in 1987. the family now lives off the estate in Kilgobbin House, Adare. The house was purchased by Irish-American businessman Tom Kane and converted into the Adare Manor Hotel.

The house is set on a 840-acre (3.4 km2) estate and now operates as a five star hotel, featuring the Adare Golf Club, Elemis Treatment Rooms, Townhouses and Villas on the rest of the resort. President Bill Clinton stayed in Adare Manor in September 1998. The Manor was voted Ireland's Leading Hotel in the 2006 World Travel Awards

Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel (Arabic: أبو سنبل‎ or أبو سمبل) is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan dam reservoir.

The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt's top tourist attractions.



The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, which took about twenty years to build, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Rameses the Great (which corresponds to 1265 BC). It was dedicated to the gods Amen Re, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Rameses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Rameses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.

Four colossal 20 meter statues of the pharaoh with the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt decorate the facade of the temple, which is 35 meters wide and is topped by a frieze with 22 baboons, worshippers of the sun and flank the entrance. The colossal statues were sculptured directly from the rock in which the temple was located before it was moved. All statues represent Ramesses II, seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statue to the left of the entrance was damaged in an earthquake, leaving only the lower part of the statue still intact. The head and torso can still be seen at the statue's feet.

Next to the legs of the colossi, there are other statues no higher than the knees of the pharaoh.[2] These depict Nefertari, Ramesses's chief wife, and queen mother Mut-Tuy, his first two sons Amun-her-khepeshef, Ramesses, and his first six daughters Bintanath, Baketmut, Nefertari, Meritamen, Nebettawy and Isetnofret.

The entrance itself is crowned by a bas-relief representing two images of the king worshiping the falcon-headed Ra Harakhti, whose statue stands in a large niche. This god is holding the hieroglyph user in his right hand and a feather while Ma'at, the goddess of truth and justice) in on his left; this is nothing less than a gigantic cryptogram for Ramesses II's throne name, User-Maat-Re. The facade is topped by a row of 22 baboons, their arms raised in the air, supposedly worshipping the rising sun. Another notable feature of the facade is a stele which records the marriage of Ramesses with a daughter of king Hattusili III, which sealed the peace between Egypt and the Hittites.
The collapsed colossus of the Great Temple supposedly fell during an earthquake shortly after its construction, when moving the temple it was decided to leave it as the face is missing.
One of the eight pillars in the main hall of the temple, showing Ramesses II as Osiris

The inner part of the temple has the same triangular layout that most ancient Egyptian temples follow, with rooms decreasing in size from the entrance to the sanctuary. The temple is complex in structure and quite unusual because of its many side chambers. The hypostyle hall (sometimes also called pronaos) is 18 meters long and 16,7 meters wide and is supported by eight huge Osirid pillars depicting the deified Ramesses linked to the god Osiris, the god of the Underworld, to indicate the everlasting nature of the pharaoh. The colossal statues along the left-hand wall bear the white crown of Upper Egypt, while those on the opposite side are wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt(pschent). The bas-reliefs on the walls of the pronaos depict battle scenes in the military campaigns the ruler waged. Much of the sculpture is given to the Battle of Kadesh, on the Orontes river in present-day Syria, in which the Egyptian king fought against the Hittites. The most famous relief shows the king on his chariot shooting arrows against his fleeing enemies, who are being taken prisoner Other scenes show Egyptian victories in Libya and Nubia

From the hypostyle hall, one enters the second pillared hall, which has four pillars decorated with beautiful scenes of offerings to the gods. There are depictions of Ramesses and Nefertari with the sacred boats of Amun and Ra-Harakhti. This hall gives access to a transverse vestibule in the middle of which is the entrance to the sanctuary. Here, on a black wall, are rock cut sculptures of four seated figures: Ra-Horakhty, the deified king Ramesses, and the gods Amun Ra and Ptah. Ra-Horakhty, Amun Ra and Ptah were the main divinities in that period and their cult centers were at Heliopolis, Thebes and Memphis respectively.

The axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that twice a year, on October 20 and February 20, the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculpture on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, the god connected with the Underworld, who always remained in the dark. These dates are allegedly the king's birthday and coronation day respectively, but there is no evidence to support this, though it is quite logical to assume that these dates had some relation to a great event, such as the jubilee celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the pharaoh's rule. In fact, according to calculations made on the basis of the heliacal rising of the star Sirius (Sothis) and inscriptions found by archaeologists, this date must have been October 22. This image of the king was enhanced and revitalized by the energy of the solar star, and the deified Ramesses Great could take his place next to Amun Ra and Ra-Horakhty.

Due to the displacement of the temple, it is widely believed that this event now occurs one day later than it did originally.more tours and travel

The vice presidentiables

We admire young politicians who show great promise but have modest ambitions. One of them is Sen. Francis Pangilinan, an opposition leader belonging to the Liberal Party who announced on Wednesday that he will seek the vice presidency in 2010.

Pangilinan, who was elected as an independent in the 2007 Senate races, has a better record as legislator than many of the other politicians hungering to become president. A declaration for the presidency would not surprise many Filipinos.

Why he chose to run for Veep and not for Chief may reflect either modesty, good political sense, a recognition of political reality, or all of the above. He does not have the P-billion campaign chest that Sen. Manny Villar said a “presidentiable” must put up to wage a winning bid. Lowering his sights may have endeared him to the front-runners looking for a good runningmate. Or Kiko may have realized he is not ready to lead 85 million Filipinos out of their Second World status to the G-9 Club.

Filipinos do not think highly of presidents or candidates running for No. 2. The focus in each election is on the standard bearer, the man who could deliver the first honest election in history or could return decency to public service. The main qualification for the vice president is that he brings “balance”—regional balance—to the ticket. Our system, of course, makes possible the election of a president and a vice president from two contending parties. This isolates the vice president, coming from the minority, from the presidential palace and policy-making.

For the most part, presidents are happy to see their “vice” doing their errands, such as delivering a trite speech at a nondescript ribbon cutting or representing the country at the funeral of a foreign despot. Vice presidents are not considered important enough to be named acting president when the Boss travels overseas. Vice President Diosdado Macapagal was largely ignored by the incumbent so the self-made astute leader used his time quietly campaigning for president—and won handsomely.

The conventional wisdom is that the “Bise” is a heartbeat away from the throne, a spare tire that becomes indispensable at a crucial time. This, fortunate or unfortunately, seldom happens in Philippine politics. The Veep may only wish his superior dire things or try to make them happen by, for example, sending the sybaritic president “lechon” at every opportunity.

Pangilinan may have given high-profile politicians a reason to temper their ambitions. Speaking at a commencement in Sorsogon City, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said he was happy to retrace his father’s steps by running for vice president in 2010, before seeking higher office. Gov. Grace Padaca allowed she might accept a second slot in an Among Panlilio ticket, and Gov. Panlilio hinted he may drop to No. 2 for Sen. Mar Roxas.

We need more self-effacing leaders to remind us that there is no deficit in public modesty and to reassure us there are men and women who will shun the starting gate for ethical reasons. In this country, every candidate who loses swears he was cheated and every Juan who has had his face published in the papers thinks he can become president. Few are those who will say a high public office is not their cup or that they are not qualified for a higher calling, except perhaps for chief Justice Reynato Puno or the immensely popular comedian Dolphy.

When urged to run for president, Puno said he would follow the counsel of his trusted advisers, his grandchildren, to retire after his term. Dolphy, when egged to run for senator, deadpanned: “E kung manalo ako [what if I win]?”

Gun ban excludes toy guns

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday the gun-control bill it has asked Congress to enact does not cover imitation weapons.

PNP chief Jesus Verzosa had asked the House to pass a bill that would make the illegal possession of handguns a non-bailable offense owing to arising crime abetted by unlicensed firearms. Toy guns, which criminals have used for robbery, are not covered by the measure, the police announced.

The PNP was criticized this week for threatening to investigate former President Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay who rode a military jeep with a mounted machinegun. They were guests of the mayor of Carmen, Cebu, who loaned the jeep for a parade.

The police invoked a Marcos letter of instruction (LOI) that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile—who should know—said no longer exists. The LOI made possession and display of mock weapons, but not military decorations, a crime. The authenticity of Marcos’ war medals had been questioned by his critics.

Estrada loyalists said he was not guilty of gun-toting but of toy-toting, a harmless prank that appeared timely because of the approaching April Fools Day. A friend who claimed to know said Erap originally wanted to ride a rusty miniature tank for his tour, but was asked to desist because it would look more threatening. The mayor’s late husband collected guns and World War Two relics.

Besides, the friend said, Estrada would appear like he was aping Gov. Michael Dukakis, the Democratic nominee for president, who rode a tank for a photo-op to show he was not soft on foreign policy, as his Republican opponents had charged. Dukakis received a volley of catcalls for his showmanship.

On the other fronts, the PNP has secured patents on police uniforms to discourage impostors and has asked politicians to hire private bodyguards instead of using cops as security escorts. It is also working out an agreement with TV and movie producers to improve its image and to put an end to sitcoms and comedy pictures that project lawmen as “Pulis Patola” and “Bobo-cop.”

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/29/yehey/opinion/20090329opi1.html

Stable but slower growth seen for the Philippines

AS a result of continued inflows of remittances, the Philippines remain largely stable to render support for consumption demand, according to the 2009 Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.

However, the worse is yet to come—the economy is expected to grow by no more than 3 percent this year, observes the survey released on Friday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

A bright spot within the gloomy picture is the increase in money sent home by Filipinos working abroad.

In 2008, remittances totaled $16.4 billion, which is 13.7 percent higher than in 2007.

However, the growth rate in remittances decelerated to 0.1 percent in January 2009 compared to the same time last year, reflecting the impact of the recession on immigrant workers in the United States.

Still, the small current account deficit of 0.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) would be substantially larger if it were not offset by the remittances the country receives from overseas workers, which represented 11.6 percent of the country’s GDP in 2007.

Data for the first nine months of 2008 indicate that remittances increased 17.1 percent compared to the first nine months of 2007.

A reversal in remittances is not expected in 2009, but a slowdown is foreseen because many of the country’s overseas workers are based in recession-hit economies.

As a result of the global financial crisis, the Philippine economy grew at a noticeable slower rate during 2008, at 4.6 percent—down from 7.2 percent in 2007.

The survey states that the slowdown in GDP growth in the Philippines is a result of a sharp contraction of exports started in the last quarter of 2008—a consequence of the country’s linkages to global supply chains in the electronic industry, which have been badly hit by the recession in the United States and other industrialized countries.

While domestic demand did not fall as sharply as exports did, the growth in private consumption, gross fixed investment, and public consumption was slower in 2008 than the year before.

To support the economy in the face of the deepening crisis, the central bank cut its policy rate on three occasions between December 2008 and mid-March 2009, from 8 percent to 6.75 percent.

In addition, in January 2009, the government announced a fiscal stimulus package of P330 billion (4.6 percent of the GDP) which aims at upgrading infrastructure, providing seed funding for small enterprises, boosting social protection and creating jobs.

It reflects a P160-billion increase in expenditures and P100 billion in infrastructures.

Most of the stimulus packages in the region are relatively small as in Malaysia, Thailand,

Vietnam and Indonesia. The exceptions are the Philippines (4.6 percent of GDP) and Singapore (11.5 percent of GDP).
ESCAP

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/29/yehey/top_stories/20090329top2.html

Probe of Mikey overture to De Venecia sought

BY WENDELL VIGILIA

REP. Teodoro Casiño (PL-Bayan Muna) yesterday called on the House committee on ethics to investigate reports that Reps. Mikey Arroyo (Lakas, Pampanga) and Martin Romualdez (Kampi, Leyte) have offered the speakership back to Rep. Jose de Venecia (Lakas, Pangasinan) in exchange for his support to Charter Change.

"The indecent proposal of Representatives Mikey Arroyo and Martin Romualdez tends to undermine the integrity and independence of the speakership and the House itself," he said in a statement.

De Venecia, in an interview with Vera Files last March 19, revealed that the presidential son, accompanied by Romualdez, came to his office in late February to seek his help in getting the required number of votes for the passage of the Con-*** resolution filed by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, president of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi).

more http://www.malaya.com.ph/mar27/index.htm

Breach sends water onto school campus in Fargo

By NATE JENKINS and JIM SUHR, Associated Press Writers Nate Jenkins And Jim Suhr, Associated Press Writers – 43 mins ago

FARGO, N.D. – The slowly receding Red River breached a dike on the city's north side early Sunday, sending water flowing into buildings at a school campus before it could be contained, city and school officials said.

The extent of the damage at Oak Grove Lutheran School wasn't immediately known. The surrounding neighborhood was not evacuated, but residents in some areas were told to plug their sewers and monitor basements.

Principal Morgan Forness said city officials, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Guard unsuccessfully tried to contain the water to one building after a permanent flood wall panel at the school buckled around 1:30 a.m.

"They made a gallant effort ... but the power of the river is just too much," he told KFGO radio. "They gave it everything they had, and it just — we couldn't contain it. It came center of campus, and now, it's inundating all of the buildings."

The city said the flooding was caused by erosion and began when water came up through the floor of one building and infiltrated the rest of campus.

"I think there's a little bit of divine intervention here — in the sense that we built a secondary dike to help protect the school, and that's gonna probably end up helping to protect the neighborhood," school President Bruce Messelt told KFGO.

After cresting around midnight Friday at 40.82 feet, the Red River had dropped to 40.25 feet by early Sunday — still more than 22 feet above flood stage. Fargo fears that more water could burst past the levees and submerge parts of the city.

The river may fluctuate up to a foot and remain at dangerous levels for a week, meaning people will have to endure an agonizing several days before they reach the point they can relax.

The city was to resume sandbagging Sunday morning and was requesting more volunteers. Many were expected to turn out after church services that are staple of life on Sunday mornings in Fargo, a heavily Lutheran town of more than 90,000.

"I just hope that everybody doesn't let up. We can't let our guard down," said Al Erickson, a 47-year-old banker whose two-story home is across the street from a golf course that is now a giant water hazard. "The city as a whole will be OK, but there may be neighborhoods that still may have some trouble."

Forecasters say the river is retreating because cold temperatures have been freezing water that normally would be flowing into the river. By the time that water thaws, the biggest flooding threat should have passed, Hudson said.

Officials in charge of the flood-response effort deployed high-tech Predator drone aircraft, called up more National Guard troops and brought in hundreds of bags that each hold a ton of sand and could be dropped by helicopter into breaks in the levees.

The National Guard has been dispatching inspection teams to the levees, joining a cadre of volunteers who are being asked to do the same. The task is monumental, with more than 35 miles of levees around Fargo.

"I don't think there's an inch of riverfront on the Fargo side that doesn't have some kind of levee," said city engineer Mark Bittner. "We encourage neighborhoods to get together and have their own dike patrols and assist us."

Bruce Boelter walked the entire length of a roughly mile-long stretch of sandbag dike to eyeball the manmade wall separating his subdivision and the Red River. Neighbor Tony Guck joined him halfway. Each felt a special stake in the dike they helped build.

"If we don't protect this, it's gonna get us. It's basically for our own security," said Guck, 42. "I'm just planning on coming out every six hours and walking it."

Water has forced hundreds of residents in the Fargo area from their homes and submerged basements and yards in an untold number of houses along the river. Emergency crews in boats had to rescue about 150 people from their homes in neighboring communities in Minnesota, while about 20 percent of households in Moorhead have been urged to leave.

The flooding was brought on by heavier-than-average winter snows, spring rains and a rapid thaw of the snowpack that sent the Red River to record-high levels in Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.

A winter storm was predicted to hit North Dakota early next week, although the snow isn't expected to affect the flooding in Fargo. Still, wind from the storm could cause 2-foot waves that could send some water over the top of dikes, said Dave Kellenbenz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"That's something we're going to have to watch closely as we move into next week," he said.

The variation in flood forecasts was a roller coaster throughout the week for Fargo, with the projection edging upward twice before being lowered Saturday. Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker opened a briefing earlier in the day by apologizing for criticizing the weather service.

Greg Gust, a warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service, said the predictions are complex. They come from round-the-clock work by hundreds of scientists, engineers and other experts. Some of those people brave the river for measurements of volume, flow and temperatures. They also use computer models for mathematical and statistical analyses.

But even with improved forecasting methods, the river's record levels and the volatile temperatures don't allow anyone to be certain, and the weather service continued to hedge its prediction Saturday.

The main focus for the Fargo area will be on whether the long line of levees will be able to hold up against the floodwaters — regardless of their level. Engineers say that anytime water is pressed up against a levee for a considerable period of time, there is a risk of catastrophic flooding.

"The saturation usually becomes the enemy of a levee over time," Jud Kneuvean, chief of emergency management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Kansas City. "It can cause the embankment to be less stable and slide."

Word of the river's possible retreat couldn't come at a better time for 91-year-old Jim Sundahl, whose Moorhead yard has already been swallowed up by floodwaters. He has been waging a furious battle to keep the waters from his home, where he was born.

"I'm happy about it, I'll tell you that," Sundahl said. "But it won't do us any good for four or five days."

___

On the Net:

Red River at Fargo water levels: http://sn.im/enwgc