I Didn't Really Disappear Off the Face of the Earth

Since I haven't been able to post anything for several days, I thought I should let you know I'm still alive and kicking, well alive anyway. Alive and coughing. I have bronchitis and I'm barking like a lonesome dog. Feel better today but I still could sing bass in the church choir down the road.

It finally stopped raining and dried up a bit around here so Dave and I have been trying to catch up with yard work again. Yesterday I rested while he worked but today I'll get back out there for a while. I still can't mow all the yard because it's too wet where the pond overflowed, but I can get it looking much better.

The leaves are turning here already. Hard to believe in a month we'll have the peak of foliage season here. I remember when we used to go to dirt track auto races, at one track the announcer insisted on talking about the fall "foilyage" spectacular race. He's probably still calling it that but we stopped going to the races thanks to my lungs. I'd be happy for Dave to go with a friend, but he lost interest.

In between coughing I've been reading an old book that had been sitting on my shelf for a long time, Ironweed by (can't remember his first name) Kennedy. Maybe I coughed my brain out? Anyway, I'm sticking with it, determined to finish, but I just can't see so far why it won a Pulitzer Prize. I don't think it's because I'm sick; it's just horribly depressing and so far doesn't go anywhere. I must be missing something.

I got my first Kindle book today so that will be next. It's Linda Gillard so I know it'll be good. Looking forward to that.

The newspaper today is full of pictures and personal stories from our flood. Many of the business people are ready to give up, but they're planning to reopen because of their employees. There just aren't enough jobs open for them to all find work. Some of those businesses were just drowned out five years ago, so I sure can't blame them for being too discouraged to rebuild. The bright side is the help they're getting. The communities involved have come together, including college students who are from places far away from here, to help people throw out what's unsalvageable, clean what is, and bring them food and water and cleaning supplies. When Mother Nature does a number on us, people shine.

I'll finish that book and then I'll be back to do a review, such as it is.

"Blue Skies Smilin' on Me . . ."

Post Irene the sky is so blue you could get lost in it. Down below there is a lot of flooding around here. A town about 5 miles from us got officially 6.32" of rain, but it was still raining when I saw that report so we probably got more. It will take our property a long, long time to dry out so once again it will look like a jungle before I get it mowed again. Sigh. One area will definitely take a while to dry - our lower pond overflowed on one end onto the lawn.

Down the mountain in Hallstead on the Susquehanna River, according to the news, several houses are in danger. It always floods along one side of Main St. where Salt Lick Creek flows behind those houses into the river, so I imagine even the road is flooded now. I'm not going out until tomorrow, by which time I hope most of the flooding will be off the roads. Some bridges were damaged badly by flood waters with trees and other debris roaring along but nothing near our house.

We were supposed to go to a picnic and concert just across the state line in Conklin, NY Wed. evening, but the park where it was to be held is now a lake. It's another place that floods easily. Lots of roads blocked off there. Conklin was one of the hardest hit places in the area during the flood of 2006. Many homes were demolished and never rebuilt, but a group called CHOW has taken over some of those lots to grow food for the needy. Come to think of it, I wonder if the rest of their harvest is under water?

We just had a slightly hilarious adventure here. We lost power for two hours, during which time the sump pump couldn't run. I guess water backed up in drains, etc. because it didn't flood the basement floor. When the power came back on, I heard a lot of gurgling in the kitchen sink (I hadn't used it), then Dave came flailing out of the downstairs bathroom with water gushing all over the place. It had backed up in the shower stall drain and flowed across the floor, out the door and onto the hallway carpeting. I opened the basement door to see it was raining inside; it had gone through the floor and was falling in the basement.

Even as it happened, I couldn't help laughing (to myself - Dave was steamed) but the sump pump soon caught up and everything was okay again. At least the bathroom floor got washed, but the carpeting is still wet this morning. I have the fan blowing on it.

So, we've had an earthquake and a hurricane in one week. I think we've had enough for now. I'm very happy that "nuthin' but blue skies do I see."