CEDAR FALLS - For most residents of the Cedar Valley, last Sunday was a beautiful day to drive around in a convertible, ride a bike along the now tame Cedar River, or maybe just kick back in the yard playing games.

The clear, blue skies and 74-degree temperatures didn't beckon Shawn Weinke and his wife. Stacy, to enjoy a leisurely day off.

Along with many other flood victims in the North Cedar area, Weinke and his wife are still slaving over the bitter task of cleaning up the devastating mess Mother Nature delivered to their home several weeks ago.

While most people were dressed in their Sunday best or shorts and cool shirt, the Waterloo Warriors' hockey coach was outfitted in dirty red shorts and a coat of perspiration.

"It is hard to come back here and know just exactly where to begin," Weinke said.

"Today, I have just been working on my grill, just to get some normalcy back in my life. I think it's gonna make it. I cleaned her up and she fired right off. Now maybe I can cook us a decent meal."

Weinke and his wife have been staying at a hotel in Waterloo and making trips to the skeletal hull of their home each night and weekend to try and salvage as much of their life as possible.

"When we finally were allowed to get back into our place, it was just sad to see what was here," Stacy said. "It is ironic, though, that those heavy flower pots never moved from their spot, but yet we had five feet of water in the house, and our refrigerator was floating on its side in another room."

The contents were spoiled, as were many of the Weinke's other possessions, including many irreplaceable keepsakes that documented the couple's lives.

"We brought everything up from the basement thinking it would be safe," said Stacy. "We lost so much, even my TV that I watch my football games on."

"Yeah, she is the bigger football fan of the house," added Shawn.

A dark ring five feet high around a large tree in the Weinkes front yard represents the height the flood water reached.

"We left at about 9:30 that Monday night and figured, 'OK, we have been living here for eight years and never had a water problem. Maybe at most we will have some water in the basement,'" Shawn related. "When we did get in here, by boat, I realized it was a lot worse."

It was so bad that he found other peoples' possessions floating in his basement, including a single shoe.

"We even had some frogs decide to make our basement home for awhile." he added.

The Weinkes would simply like to have a home again. While Shawn faced his share of challenges as a hockey player at the University of Wisconsin-Superior and for the Waterloo Black Hawks from 1989-1991, he always knew where he stood. This challenge is different.

"I really don't know what we are going to do," he said. "We will find out what the city is planning Monday at the City Council meeting. If they say we can stay, we will have to build to their flood plan and maybe put the house higher off the ground. Or maybe there will be a potential buy-out.

"It is really hard to tell what we are going to do at this point. I don't think I am going to mow the grass the rest of the year though," Weinke added with a smile.

The coach and his wife haven't been alone through their crisis. Besides their faith and their neighbors, the Weinkes' hockey family has been there to help. Weinke's Warriors team lives by the motto, "hold the rope," which means that you have a commitment to never let your teammates down.

"We had maybe 50 people, from hockey players and their families to co-workers and friends we have made through the years, come out and help us with the cleanup," Stacy said. "It was great to see what friends will do for you in bad times.

"It was just overwhelming. My mother lost her place just a quarter-mile away as the crow flies, and my brother lost his house in New Hartford due to the tornado. We have had enough bad luck for awhile."

"I think we just need to get away for awhile and forget about this mess," said Shawn.

Contact Rod Payne at sportsdoor@wcfcourier.com