WINTER FUN
We don't quite resonate with our friends and neighbors and relatives who hate winter. It's been a great winter for skiing--and kayaking along our flooded road!! The other day we were hiking on the beautiful boardwalks and trails at Pickerel Lake Park, then to Cannonsburg Inn for the best olive-burger in the Midwest. We also saw a spectacular winter eclipse of the moon this week--shining brightly and then fading away over the river. We were mesmerized.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
FEBRUARY DEEP FREEZE
This morning, sun shining, -3 degrees, we received our first flood gage reading that tells us we're below flood stage. But we're still "flooded" in. The road is covered with huge ice ruts, allowing for trucks to get in and out but too scary for people like us who get stuck even when there are no icy ruts. Hopefully we'll be "plowed" out today (scooped out with a front-end loader).
While flooded in, John has been arranging music for the 18 member Jubal Brass ensemble that he directs; I've been working on my church history text, and John's finished reading to me "Crazy for God" by Frank Schaeffer. For anyone who knew of the late great "saint" Francis Schaeffer, this will be a fascinating eye-opener. His parents were not just boarder-line insane; they were certifiable. And he's very open about how the sins of the father were passed down to him. I recommend the book.
This morning, sun shining, -3 degrees, we received our first flood gage reading that tells us we're below flood stage. But we're still "flooded" in. The road is covered with huge ice ruts, allowing for trucks to get in and out but too scary for people like us who get stuck even when there are no icy ruts. Hopefully we'll be "plowed" out today (scooped out with a front-end loader).
While flooded in, John has been arranging music for the 18 member Jubal Brass ensemble that he directs; I've been working on my church history text, and John's finished reading to me "Crazy for God" by Frank Schaeffer. For anyone who knew of the late great "saint" Francis Schaeffer, this will be a fascinating eye-opener. His parents were not just boarder-line insane; they were certifiable. And he's very open about how the sins of the father were passed down to him. I recommend the book.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
FLOOD ON ABRIGADOR TRAIL
February floods, they tell us, are the very worst. So far all is well, but things could change quickly. Normally we would have at least a 24 hour warning telling us at what height the river will crest. But with the ice jam that's been building up and backing up from downtown 5 miles away, the river could rise very quickly. The road was still passable yesterday afternoon when we took our 2 vehicles out to higher ground (about 2 blocks away). Some vehicles with a higher wheel base were still on the road this morning. But by early afternoon the water had risen to nearly 3 feet in some places. We get around quite easily in our kayaks, and we're expecting the temperature to get up to 37 degrees by Monday. But after that it gets much colder and our kayaking may be over. Our biggest fear is high water that would come into the house----first in our rental cottage 12 houses down river and then in this house which is about 2 feet higher than that. In a summer flood (like the late May flood of 2004 before we moved here) there is enough warning to move everything up to the loft, but this winter flood could come fast. At this point we're still taking it easy. We went down river 8 houses last night for dinner with friends and today John's sister Mary parked on high ground and I towed out a kayak to pick her up and she had lunch with us. And in the meantime we've been able to help out neighbors with their flood issues. Very few have evacuated. We're all river-rats and we'll stay as long as we can. The photo above is a view of our front yard.
This one is the deck along the side of the yard and the one below is our picnic table normally overlooking the river by 10 feet.
February floods, they tell us, are the very worst. So far all is well, but things could change quickly. Normally we would have at least a 24 hour warning telling us at what height the river will crest. But with the ice jam that's been building up and backing up from downtown 5 miles away, the river could rise very quickly. The road was still passable yesterday afternoon when we took our 2 vehicles out to higher ground (about 2 blocks away). Some vehicles with a higher wheel base were still on the road this morning. But by early afternoon the water had risen to nearly 3 feet in some places. We get around quite easily in our kayaks, and we're expecting the temperature to get up to 37 degrees by Monday. But after that it gets much colder and our kayaking may be over. Our biggest fear is high water that would come into the house----first in our rental cottage 12 houses down river and then in this house which is about 2 feet higher than that. In a summer flood (like the late May flood of 2004 before we moved here) there is enough warning to move everything up to the loft, but this winter flood could come fast. At this point we're still taking it easy. We went down river 8 houses last night for dinner with friends and today John's sister Mary parked on high ground and I towed out a kayak to pick her up and she had lunch with us. And in the meantime we've been able to help out neighbors with their flood issues. Very few have evacuated. We're all river-rats and we'll stay as long as we can. The photo above is a view of our front yard.
This one is the deck along the side of the yard and the one below is our picnic table normally overlooking the river by 10 feet.
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