Gone.
The foliage and the loon friends, both feathered and foolish.
But life goes on, this time in the form of a storm. Wind and rain inundated the area.
Soggy roots followed by high winds. Sound like a formula?
Since there was still some pressure in the system even though the well pump was without voltage, we were able to draw enough water for coffee. Since we have a gas range that can be lit with a match, we were able to boil water. Since the water was heated in a teakettle, it could be poured over the grounds just as the powered automatic drip would have done.
As we sipped our coffee, we watched as the launch dock detached from the shore and floated downstream.
Quickly donning outdoor clothing and a life jacket, I hopped into a kayak and paddled off to catch the escaping dock. Unfortunately, I had to plunge my hand into the cold, cold water to attach a rope to the dock so it could be towed. Knots are difficult to tie when one's hands are cold-shocked.
As the whitecaps broke over the bow of the kayak, I paddled backward to tow the floating dock back close to home. Not too close to shore, though, since the assembly got hung up in the shallows more than once. Towing turned more out toward the channel than toward the destination. Fortunately, out of the strong current in the main channel, the force of the wind was dominant, and the dock floated almost exactly to its departure point.
Mary and Pete scrounged up some additional rope, throwing the end out to the kayak. Soon the dock was secured to a tree, vagabond no more.
Don't warm your hands by the fireplace when they are nearly frozen. Rubbing them in comfortably cooler air is a whole lot less painful.
The foliage and the loon friends, both feathered and foolish.
But life goes on, this time in the form of a storm. Wind and rain inundated the area.
Soggy roots followed by high winds. Sound like a formula?
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| Top left, the large gate can be seen leaking. The spillway is showing a good deal of water overflowing, even though the output of the control gate at lower left is at max. The water level was supposed to be low so the Dam Masters could work on the leak. This probably helped the keep the upstream water from getting higher than it did. |
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| A generator is no good unless you have fuel. It's a good policy to refresh your supply after a year, but be sure to get fresh gas. There were many of these windfalls preventing acquisition of fresh fuel. |
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| Tough to see, but the reason this tree is not on the road surface is that the electrical wires are holding it up. |
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| It was good to see the crews cutting the trees off the wires. Power will be back on in no time, right? |
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| The usual waterline is well below the rocks submerged on the right. Wind driven whitecaps populate the lake. Debris has piled up on the launch dock. |
Since there was still some pressure in the system even though the well pump was without voltage, we were able to draw enough water for coffee. Since we have a gas range that can be lit with a match, we were able to boil water. Since the water was heated in a teakettle, it could be poured over the grounds just as the powered automatic drip would have done.
As we sipped our coffee, we watched as the launch dock detached from the shore and floated downstream.
Quickly donning outdoor clothing and a life jacket, I hopped into a kayak and paddled off to catch the escaping dock. Unfortunately, I had to plunge my hand into the cold, cold water to attach a rope to the dock so it could be towed. Knots are difficult to tie when one's hands are cold-shocked.
As the whitecaps broke over the bow of the kayak, I paddled backward to tow the floating dock back close to home. Not too close to shore, though, since the assembly got hung up in the shallows more than once. Towing turned more out toward the channel than toward the destination. Fortunately, out of the strong current in the main channel, the force of the wind was dominant, and the dock floated almost exactly to its departure point.
Mary and Pete scrounged up some additional rope, throwing the end out to the kayak. Soon the dock was secured to a tree, vagabond no more.
Don't warm your hands by the fireplace when they are nearly frozen. Rubbing them in comfortably cooler air is a whole lot less painful.
 |
| This magnificent example of stationary dock architecture usually sits feet above the water. Here it is only inches above where it is not touching. |
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| An interesting effect appeared as the high water impinged against the perfectly straight dock. Where the water, flowing left to right, was impeded by the side panel of the dock, a "pressure ridge" formed. Open eyes often see new things. |
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| All the rain filled the swampy area behind the satellite flowers. |
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| The wind died the next day. We had plenty of time to appreciate the view since the power was still out. |
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| Perhaps you can make out the black wheels of Pete's new dock in the center of the image. They switched places with the metal dock surface, which made a pretty good airplane wing in the wind, and is now doing its submarine impression. |
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| The sunset pleases, regardless. |
Though we were without power for 3 days, our plight was a mere inconvenience. In nearby Dolgeville and Middleville, large creeks fed by many tributaries the size of our lake's outlet swelled to flood stage. Both towns evacuated people sleeping in low-lying dwellings. Cars and buildings floated away.
Dolgeville: https://www.uticaod.com/news/20191101/updated-cuomo-assesses-dolgeville-flood-damage-photos-video
Middleville: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/flooding/2019/11/02/herkimer-county-communities-struggle-with-floods#
Ever wonder why the well-to-do live up on the hill?
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