Stone Piles In The Forest

A Stone Or Rock Pile

I have been reading some other blogs recently about the "stone piles" that are on various areas of the state forest. We were fortunate to have a couple here. I can't tell you much about them. Various reasons they were built are mentioned in discussions about them. I guess I don't really care why they were built. I just like them. For whatever reason they were built, they remain.

The Other One

The two we have here are pretty close together. Since it has been so wet here, we seem to have a lot of that green moss all over the rocks. I have seen stone piles in the state forest and some spots around here, that are not like our piles at all. So maybe different styles, represent different reasons for them being built. I know our house was built in 1850, so not sure if the stone piles were already here or not.

Walking through the forest...........

We also have old foundations in our area, as this was once a populated community. Old roads have gone into disuse. My husband and our dog have hiked all through these woods around us. He has ridden his horse in areas that knew better days. Old farms that have been gone for a very long time. The only signs besides the crumbling foundations, are the old lilacs and roses, still budding each year. 

Not far from each other

Researching the history of our area has proved to be one of my favorite hobbies. I love trying to find the history of my home and the area around us. There are signs of a civilization that has since disappeared. Discovering the old watering troughs along these state forest roads, has been a source of enjoyment too. One is not far from us, in fact walking distance. Nobody even sees them or knows they are there, I think.

Rocks are various sizes

Most of the farms in our area, have sold their stone fences. It is a shame when they do that. I love the look of them. And the history! The men who toiled in the fields building those fences. I wonder about those men. Like the man who built my house. I think about him often and wonder about his life. He was a part of this community that is all gone now. Our house being the only one left. How does one house out of a whole community survive, and the others have all disappeared?  

 

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

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

Wordless Wednesday With Sights Around Our Homestead

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2010  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

Forest Living Can Be Addicting!!

The path to our forest

This is a photo of the elderberries on the left side and the blackberries on the right side framing our path that goes to our forest. The forest surrounds our homestead. The Ludlow Creek State Forest surrounds our forest. The forest came right up to our house almost when we first moved here in 1999. When we sat outside at night we would get nervous about sounds coming from the woods. Oh, what could it be out there in the darkest dark of the forest?

 The path goes on deeper into our forest here

After a few months of living here and exploring the forest ourselves with our dog, Nikita, we learned that we were pretty safe. In all the time we have lived here we have never had a bear show up in our yard. My husband hit one with the car back in 2001, but not near our house. Ten miles away in the town of Greene, NY. He was on his way to his job at IBM, and it was dark because he worked the night shift. The bear came out of nowhere. He did not have a chance to avoid it. A cop came and had to shoot it. Very sad, and my husband felt bad because he could hear it whimpering in pain. He was a big one too. 

The way out of the forest to our yard

In the winter we have deer sleep out here in the forest. They must feel safe because we are not hunters. Our dog, Nikita is very gentle. She is a hunter as far as catching a woodchuck or two, rabbits being her favorites. Once she got a squirrel but she don't eat them. Just doesn't care for squirrels I guess. She gave it to my husband but he didn't do too good with that one. I will say that Nikita loves venison but she doesn't go after the deer herself. She does what she is told. Most of the venison she gets is from a hunter gutting a deer at the creek near our house. She gets a whiff of it and knows it is there. One year it was in the water near our bridge, I can't remember how exactly, but we hung a line down there and hooked it some way to get it for her.

The forest gets darker the farther in you go

Living surrounded by deep forest without neighbors has been good for us. It gives you a feeling that cannot be explained, knowing that you are the only one here. When we first moved here I was scared, because my husband worked at nights and I'd be here alone. No neighbors. Nobody but me in this huge area of the state forest. Now, after all these years..............this is where I feel the safest! If nobody came down my road ever, I'd probably feel even safer!!!

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

June Is Here!

June is here and it appears like a perfect summer may be headed our way. Our Spring has been just beautiful. Just enough rain, not hard downpours, like we usually get. My home is surrounded by the Ludlow Creek State Forest, and it is breathtaking. It looks like the Garden Of Eden must have looked. Everything is a deep green, the birds are always singing - and they are happy songs - not the angry ones I used to hear when I live in the city of Vestal, NY.

I have had reasons lately to go into the city nearby, Binghamton, NY. It makes me so sad to see how that city has changed. My mother grew up there and it was a whole different world back then. My grandmother raised chickens right in the city, grew a huge garden every year and canned all her produce. She worked, of course, at Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory (most people did back then!), and her co-workers shared their bounty with her. She always took it and canned it. My mother's family did not suffer from no food in the depression, because my grandmother knew how to provide it. She was raised on a farm in Pennsylvania, so of course she knew what to do.

She raised all her girls to know how to do all those things and more. They learned to sew, crochet, knit, and whatever else they had to do to take care of their families in bad times. Back then when someone lost their job and did not have any means to take care of their children, the parents would take the children to the orphanages and leave them there. My grandmother fought against that and did whatever she could to hang onto her children.

Anyway, I have been moving all my merchandise out of my eBay store. Somebody said that eBay was broken and I think they are correct. It is no longer feasible for me to keep my items for sale on there, especially when my own website, www.larrylupole.com/catalog gets way more traffic. So I can even lower my prices there and charge a very minimal shipping fee with no handling fees! It is just great. And so much easier to maneuver. I have been adding many different products there this week. So if you get a chance come take a look and see what you'd like!