Raging Waters Around Us

 High Bridge Over Ludlow Creek

The last few days our area has been getting a lot of rain. It is a lot worse than Hurricane Irene did when she came through NY state. All I heard last night was the steady pouring of the rain. Hard pouring. I like a gentle rain. But this was anything but gentle. Constant.

Stressful night out in the rain all night!

At night my husband usually gives our horses their "night hay," which is their hay to eat during the night. They will usually have enough to eat most of the night. Last night because it was pouring so hard, he didn't give it all to them. He said he'd get up during the night sometime and take more out to them. Only thing is, he didn't wake up to do so. So our poor girls had to stand up all night in that downpour, and could not go into the barn since it was flooded. Not do much more either. Today, they are very appreciative of their morning meal.

Ludlow Creek This Morning!

On each side of us are two small towns. One is Greene and the other is Oxford. Both are along the Chenango River. The road that runs through them, which is a main route and traveled heavily is Route 12. It is a truck route to the small towns and cities along the way through our state. Both towns are flooded today and even though the rain appears to have stopped, the flooding can get worse this afternoon as the river crests.

High Bridge, Ludlow Creek State Forest

Most of our roads here in Chenango County and nearby, Broome County are closed due to flooding. So we are in state of emergency here in NY today. Schools and businesses are closed. People are being evacuated from their homes. The Susquehanna River is a big river that runs through Broome and Tioga counties in our area. When we have a lot of rain, flooding becomes a very real possibility nearby. In 2006, many people lost their homes due to flooding.

 

Down by the creek this morning!

Our little creek becomes a raging creek after storms like this. Kind of scary seeing it this way right now.Standing high above it on the bridge, I feel safe. I can only imagine how it is for people who are being evacuated out of their homes due to raging waters. Where we live, we are pretty safe and prepared for most disasters. In truth, I did not have any idea the extent of the rain, until I turned on the computer. One of my husband's Facebook friends made a comment about it. Two people very close to me had to be evacuated, and I am praying they will be okay, and still have homes to return to. In some parts of the country, people are being evacuated due to fires, and some to flooding............praying they will all be safely returned to their homes soon.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

Surrounded By State Forest

 

Surrounded by state forest 

Living surrounded by state forest land sounds wonderful to many. Nobody can live on it next to you, so that is one good thing about it. Of course, you never know if NY will decide to sell it for extra money, since they are always over their budget. Yet NY taxes have a reputation of their own! Or they could allow the gas companies drill for gas to make the money from the Marcellus Shale. Many residents have jumped on the band wagon to make the money without much regard for the beautiful NY land or water supply.

 Thousands of acres of state forest

It's no wonder that people like to come out to the state land to drink and party. Nobody to call and complain about the noise or the rowdy drunk drivers. They love to spin their tires and drive like complete idiots. So they must be drunk, right?
Four wheelers come almost always on Friday night. Spinning their wheels, cutting donuts and revving their motors. Did any of these people notice the price of gasoline has gone up? Or don't they care?

 The Fingerlakes Trail lean-to at Ludlow Creek

Then you have the people who like to shoot their guns at night down by the bridge or the lean-to. Now my first thought  is, "Do they know there is a house here? With people living in it? That we have horses out here too? Do they care?" If I call the police, the NY state police that is. They won't come out here until hours after I have called. The reason? My thought is that are afraid to come out here. The last time, I called, last year, someone was shooting constantly by the bridge. The sheriff drove right by our house and never stopped to talk to us. Fine, maybe he didn't want them to know we called. But he never even slowed up by the bridge either! Chicken! Next time, I guess we will handle it ourselves.

Ludlow Creek

We have hunters who come in droves for hunting season. Just before Thanksgiving. Last year we even had coyote hunters show up. The whole time we have lived here we have heard them when they run along the creek or when they call to each other. Or when the babies are howling in the spring. But they don't hurt those hunters. The hunters don't live here. The coyote has never come onto our land. Our horses scare them and other wild game from our property. Why did they have to come here to kill for no reason? I just wish they would leave them alone.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

Living Along The Finger Lakes Trail

Jeff, my son, taking a break in the Ludlow Creek State Forest

As you can see by any of my photos or if you drove by my home, we are completely surrounded by the state forest. Big old growth trees as well as smaller, younger ones. Our forest is logged pretty regular from time to time. Presently there are loggers working right up the road. They have a made a huge mess not only in the forest but along our road. Their heavy equipment and logging trucks are very destructive. The DEC will say, "they did a great job" while we look at it and say "Duh? What do you mean a great job???"

The Finger Lakes Trail runs in front and behind our homestead.

In the summer time our road is so much busier. Living out in the state forest brings people who want to be out in the country, out of the cities and small towns around us. People truck their horses out here to ride them. People on bicycles ramble by every now and then. People on four-wheelers are racing all over the roads and trails in the evenings............even though they are not supposed to be on the roads or state lands at all. Four-wheelers ruin the paths and scare our wildlife out here. They are just so noisy! 

Ludlow Creek dammed up for swimming

The creek is cold for swimming but sometimes when it is really hot out it feels good. I imagine if you are hiking and get hot, sweaty and dirty a dip in the cold creek could be quite refreshing! Our creek is one of those creeks that is flowing all year round. Beautiful clean sparkling water. I don't believe the members at Lake Ludlow can use motor boats so the water is fairly clean...........but I wouldn't want to drink it! Animals are all over the place and I imagine the water is not technically clean to drink.

Ludlow Creek as seen from the lean-to

The hikers on the Finger Lakes Trail seem to like the creek and the lean-to. The lean-to was built by the Finger Lakes Trail association for the hikers to sleep in overnight when they are traveling the trail. There has been times when someone stops there and camps for a few days. After all it is a free camping spot and no reservations needed! I can't say I blame them. It is very peaceful most of the time. The only dangers are when people come here. They are the ones who leave their litter behind. They are the ones who shoot off guns all hours of the night! Yikes! Yes, they do that quite often. And what if they are not aware that there is a house here? Or my horses out in the paddock? They are the ones who break into the hunting camps. They are the ones who start fires and do not put them out properly. They are the ones who make a lot of noise when they are out here in the peaceful forest. Sorry, but that is the truth. The human animal spinning his tires on the bridge or spinning doughnuts on the road. What makes them do that anyway?

All the comforts of home on the FLT!


Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole