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Show 11 msm A at 581 Valley View Circle where Sims family used to live. A four-foo- t mud moved the Sims home 45 degrees off its foundation, destroying the house. wall of DEBRIS BASIN sits lavo-lik- e ,V,vi. ,, "' . nr - - '' U w j '' BY JAW HOPKINS C Upper Staff Writer FARMINGTON - The first three weeks were like a movie that replays m youi head It became bothersome," says The irony is that just the Kaien Sims week before I was walking with our daughter Cami, who was 10. and she said, 'Mom. why doesn't anything exciting ever happen to us r" Monday, May 30, 1983 was a day that would be forever stamped on the memory of the Don and Karen Sims family Their woild literally came crashing down aiound them when the Rudd Mud Slide of 1983 tore through their quiet Farmington neighboihood lust two days belore they had celebrated son, Cody's, eighth birthday Fhe next day. Sunday they had what they now call a little flood" that tilled the basement of their home, 581 South Valley View Cncle, wath water and light mud Neighbors responded immediately, even though it was Sunday, removing lurmtuie bom the basement to the front lawn to be cleaned They hauled water, wiped down walls and floors Fhe flooi was so clean we could have eaten oft it." says Don With the woist ot the mess out of the way and the day ending, the family decided they would finish hosing off the mud and icstoimg the furniture the next day We celebrated with pizza and pop, savs Cody of the family's activities that next dav We were so happy that people had come to help and that there hadn t been a whole lot of damage BY JAN HOPKINS C 40 p m Cody and his brother Jelf 16, were doing the dishes They heard and felt a great rumbling Jelt ran to look out the window tor jets What he and Cody saw was hoi i livAt Upper Staff Writer - Donna Jensen FARMINGTON kneels in her garden crowned in early morning light Tbe street is the quiet. colmorning ors glorious in the soft light Her husband, I lerb, is at physical therapy this morning ' -following suigerv for a torn rotator cuff My husband says "I'm closer to The Maker right here than you could ever make me!' says Jensen There is a certain reverence in the way she quickly but carefully prepares the soil for the seedlings she is planting Her hands are protected by surgical gloves as she pours water into the hole, pops the plant out, gently massages the roots and then places it in its cradle of earth. This isn't just for 'show- for the neighbors This is who we are But we are tickled when people stop and tell us they like it," she adds. and passersby Neighbors have been delighted for nearly 7 low-flyi- ing ITien home bordeied Rudd Creek with it's trees along the mountain rise Those tiees were falling like wall of dominoes betoie a tour-tomud It was very viscus and thick!' says "It moved like lava in heavv Don rolling waves cairymg everything on top of it, even huge boulders" Don and were outside and watched a clump ol trees rise up out ot the ground and be pushed forwaid I don't remembei anyjust blacked out kids but faces" thing counting With onlv moments to spare, Karen rounded up her seven children and got them into the cat with Don betoie the wall of mud hit their home "It came down, hit the back bedroom and turned the house 45 degrees off its foundation says Don The familv drove to the center ot town, honking and screaming tor neighbors to get out ot the area When the iumbhng had stopped, they ventuied back to view the damage Their house had stopped just a lew leet shy of slamming into their neighbor's house Oui bedioom was gone, the back half ot the house was tilled with mud but the sheet music was still on the piano m the fiont of the house - like nothing had happened, said Don Seven moie mud slides bombarded the area before the creek ran clear of the 50-fo- 1 30 years by the carefully designed It is yard in central Farmington alive with painted wood cutouts of a shy calf, cavorting pigs and ' all manor ot cancatured crit 4 ters Fhe whimsical animals are scattered between pieces of antique farm equipment and pots of colorful annuals Not all the animals in the garden are See those nut shells there, under the wagon1' asks Jensen They just appeared out of nowhere after the winter We think squirrels were nesting m the wagon and feeding there and the shells just got pushed through the cracks where theyve fallen They're fun to watch, but theyre pesky little things in the garden Herb Jensen has always been fascinated with antique farm equipment He started collecting farm machinery and implements 30 years ago, knowing he would someday have a yaid display comprised of them It's been his dream, says Donna He's bought and collected these for years Most people have been just wonderful When they found out Herb just wanted it to display it - preserve it - they would just give it to hint They didnt want it to be destroyed Tbe garden has become a bit of a community garden with various neighbors and residents offering to help the debris that had oiiginallv blocked it Seveial homes were damaged 'let not a single human life was lost Fhe tamilv spent the next seveial evenings with ginndpnients m llollnslav and their davs at Iaimmuton lumoi High with othei evacuees Hie lamilv telt they needed to be with ncmhbois to lend their support The child! en thought it was a eieat adventure, playing at the jumoi limit and neaiby elemental v school all dav with tnends They didnt yet have an understanding ol all thev'd lost I bat realization had been bulleted by the Red Cioss and the many voluntceis who came to help It realty brought people touethu' Rudd Creek was diverted says Kaien to 600 South and people came toucthci to sand bag, dig mud, move lock hvervone just pitched m It made oui waid. and everyone aiound us, much closer" Hie Sims weie so lond ol then nemh-borthey eventually built a house just two blocks from the lust Fhey icceived many caids and le tie i s tiom people One ot the most cherished was an envelope ol cash and the billowing note Just because we love you and know you'll need it We withhold oui names so you'll feel obligated to no one and God bless you" When reporters asked Don Sims, ?0 years ago, how he felt about losinu lus home and eveivthmg in it he said It was a "house' that went down in the mud slide Mv 'home' was in the car with me driving away 4 , S i r , V., 1123 pi t v 4, A. k s p I v A ; i v v- 'rt A ' C v in r JOSHUA, CODY, KAREN AND DON changed their lives (above). The Sims reminisce about the mud slide that it is today (below). area as s. mate-(ultoa- fj 'v f : f, t & sjkif - J 'A S, 3 Ilf Ifj, X Z "X r.i: vv ll 5 . , , , fi J ejl , .4 :u ' 1 weie very rude Ihey hope the sign will discourage wanderers and encourage people to ring the dooibell to get a tour ol the private residence This the is year's experiment marigolds in pots scattered throughout We'll see how they do. along w ith the rest of us in this di ought." she savs i cut-ou- , i - f' ' w, r 'SgfclNt! j fy4te4fMv4oC tLe $aAA Hud yiklc c 4 . ... &&? v S WOOD (far left) made by Herb Jensen decorate the yard. A display of antique farm equipment (left and below) draws neighbors and CUT-OUT- ts passersby to the home. Photos by Ron Brown. Jensens with heavy woik Ken Hardy has done a lot ol back-ho- e for us and laid the pea gravel, gushWe adore him, he's just a es Donna sweetheart Donna is retired tiom the USU extension where she's had years of experience with plants Still, she admits, it doesn't guarantee success She says she and Herb experiment every year Last year they restructured the garden area with a new gravel surtace. fence and no trespassing sign We hated to add that (the sign) but we had people just coming into the yard, walking around to the back, then ringing the doorbell wondering which items were for sale, says Donna Some of them ij n i |