Being 'buried under laundry' is a common thing in this house. Rach, with the 'help' of Jon and Captain, is folding yet another load of laundry...
Detective Jonathan on the trail of some mystery...
Kate and Mom...
Friday, October 21, 2011
Just some pictures...
I thought I'd post a few pictures that have been taken over the past few weeks...
Being 'buried under laundry' is a common thing in this house. Rach, with the 'help' of Jon and Captain, is folding yet another load of laundry...
Detective Jonathan on the trail of some mystery...
Kate and Mom...
Being 'buried under laundry' is a common thing in this house. Rach, with the 'help' of Jon and Captain, is folding yet another load of laundry...
Detective Jonathan on the trail of some mystery...Kate and Mom...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Water Recedes and The Animals Settle Back In
It's been quite a week with moving animals back home, dealing with insurance issues, getting quotes, finding shower facilities and sending a few people at a time (so not to overwhelm any one household) to get showers, dealing with work issues, and trying to regain some sense of 'normal'.
As the water receded we frequently said how much 'nicer' this water was than in the last flood. In 2006 we had a great deal of nastiness in the water and it left a terrible residue and smell. Since the majority of the flood waters came from the streams from the surrounding hills (and not from the city upstream), the water was 'clean'. We actually had fish jumping in our lawn! Ian and Jonathan couldn't let all that water go to waste so they got their rubber boots on and did what all little boys love to do--splash around in a huge puddle!
The day progressed and the water made its way back to the river bed.
This was the view from our driveway across the road to Buck Horn Lake Road. I almost called our friends who live on this road and told them to get in their paddle boat and come on over for a cup of coffee!
If you look closely you can see the water line on the hot water tank. (Right below the black label at the top of the tank.)
Things have become 'normal' in many ways. Every evening Captain expects me to make popcorn and lets me know if I'm late (he goes to the cupboard with the popcorn popper, looks up at the cupboard door, comes to me and makes sure I see him going back to the cupboard, looks at me, wags his tail and looks back up at the cupboard door.). As I make the popcorn, he takes his place at my feet and waits for a stray piece to fall on the floor. Occasionally one ends up under the stove and Captain is not one to let any popcorn go to waste...
The chickens are more than happy to allow the sheep to share the goat/chicken yard until their pen is back in order. I guess these chickens have heard how soft merino wool is!
Jessie (the non-smelly boy) went to our friends house with the girl goats to wait out the flood. Timmy (the smelly boy) spent his time at the farm up the road while in confinement with Licorice the black sheep in a calf hutch. Timmy and Licorice developed a bond that was quite pitifully broken upon their return to our farm. Timmy would loudly blat and Licorice would answer with a deep baa. Timmy was overjoyed to have Jessie return and now the boy goats are hanging out in the alpaca pasture waiting for their pen to be reconstructed (and less muddy).
Rachael was taking pictures of the alpaca and Flash came over to the fence as if to say, "It sure is nice to be home again!"
As the water receded we frequently said how much 'nicer' this water was than in the last flood. In 2006 we had a great deal of nastiness in the water and it left a terrible residue and smell. Since the majority of the flood waters came from the streams from the surrounding hills (and not from the city upstream), the water was 'clean'. We actually had fish jumping in our lawn! Ian and Jonathan couldn't let all that water go to waste so they got their rubber boots on and did what all little boys love to do--splash around in a huge puddle!
The day progressed and the water made its way back to the river bed.
This was the view from our driveway across the road to Buck Horn Lake Road. I almost called our friends who live on this road and told them to get in their paddle boat and come on over for a cup of coffee!
If you look closely you can see the water line on the hot water tank. (Right below the black label at the top of the tank.)
Things have become 'normal' in many ways. Every evening Captain expects me to make popcorn and lets me know if I'm late (he goes to the cupboard with the popcorn popper, looks up at the cupboard door, comes to me and makes sure I see him going back to the cupboard, looks at me, wags his tail and looks back up at the cupboard door.). As I make the popcorn, he takes his place at my feet and waits for a stray piece to fall on the floor. Occasionally one ends up under the stove and Captain is not one to let any popcorn go to waste...
The chickens are more than happy to allow the sheep to share the goat/chicken yard until their pen is back in order. I guess these chickens have heard how soft merino wool is!
Jessie (the non-smelly boy) went to our friends house with the girl goats to wait out the flood. Timmy (the smelly boy) spent his time at the farm up the road while in confinement with Licorice the black sheep in a calf hutch. Timmy and Licorice developed a bond that was quite pitifully broken upon their return to our farm. Timmy would loudly blat and Licorice would answer with a deep baa. Timmy was overjoyed to have Jessie return and now the boy goats are hanging out in the alpaca pasture waiting for their pen to be reconstructed (and less muddy).
Rachael was taking pictures of the alpaca and Flash came over to the fence as if to say, "It sure is nice to be home again!"
Friday, September 9, 2011
And then came the REAL thing!
If you want to read this posts chronologically, go to "First Came Irene" and then return to this post.
I took the girls to their music lessons on Wednesday. It was raining, but we didn't think too much about it since it wasn't as strong of a storm as Irene...or so we thought! Wayne called me on the cell phone and told me my boss had called to tell me that Unadilla was in a state of emergency and the roads were closed due to severe flooding. The river hadn't looked bad when I drove up through so I was surprised, but the rain had picked up so I thought they were just being overly cautious. The girls finished their lessons and I received another call from Wayne...don't come home the regular way. The road is under water and they are evacuating people. We made our way towards Unadilla and I told the girls that we would go a back way. We started up that route and had to turn around since that was underwater. The local fire department was filled with emergency workers so I stopped and asked them how to get home. They told me if I hurried another back road was still passable. Over an hour after we left Oneonta (normally a 20 minute trip) we arrived home. Wayne was at the Town Hall helping my boss deal with the emergency situation--people were being rescued by boat on the other end of town!
While Wayne helped my boss field phone calls, a tax assessor, his son, the court clerk and her husband, and I started moving things up higher. Hadn't we just finished doing this!?!The rain kept coming and the river started rising, but it was the smaller tributaries which were causing major damage. Roads that didn't have any real problems in the flood of 2006 were heavily hit. We started herding animals into the barns. Sheep can be VERY stubborn (no wonder God calls his children 'sheep' in the Bible!). It took us over an hour to get them into the barn. By then it was dark and I started packing clothes 'just in case' we were evacuated. Before the first bag was packed the fire department was at our door telling us we should get out while we could.
We knew the animals were safe for the time being and we had to get the kids out to safety so we loaded the vehicles, checked on our neighbors to make sure they were all set to get out, prayed that we'd be able to get back to move the animals to higher ground later, and headed to a friends house to plan our next step.We ended up moving into Matthew's and Nathanial's church basement which had lots of space for the kids to play, a working kitchen, a food pantry if needed, and close enough for us to try to get back to the animals. By the time we were settling the kids at the church it was after 11 p.m. The animals would have to wait until morning.Wayne, Marc, Rachael, Matthew, and friends headed back to see if they could get to the animals. Thankfully, they were able to, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the river would flood the barns. Into the vans went the sheep and goats (I wish I had photos of that!) and then Matthew and Rachael started walking the alpaca to a farm 2 miles from us that is on higher ground. They drew quite a bit of attention and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them featured in some of the flood of 2011 pictures on the Internet! They finally got all the animals situated--alpaca and Timmy (the stinky buck goat) as well as Licorice (the extremely stubborn black sheep) at the dairy farm on the hill; Bit of Honey (the other stubborn sheep), Jessie (the mild mannered, non-smelly buck goat), and all the girl goats in the fenced yards of our friends house within a few minutes drive of the church (so Marc could milk).
We had friends who provided an air mattress for Wayne and the kids grabbed either floor space or sofa bed/sofa space...
Wayne took Marc to milk the goats this a.m. and surprised me with a call from our house! Yes, he was able to get through though the roads were still officially closed. The house has water in the basement, but it's not as bad as 2006. (the electrical panel wasn't hit, but the water heater and furnace are ruined).
This afternoon we were able to return home and hopefully, tomorrow the animals will be able to come home as well. Here are some pictures of what we found upon our return...
Entering the driveway.
The field 'between' the river and our house with the remains of the garden in the foreground. Thankfully, the tomatoes and peppers were above the water line.
The sheep would have not been happy if they hadn't been forced to leave their 'comfort' zone!
The bridge 1 mile down river from our house.
As I finish writing this, I can look out our back window and see green grass in several places across the field. Thankfully, the water is receding nicely and we have MUCH to be thankful for. Many people who were hit hard along the Catskills area by Irene hadn't had a chance to recover from that trauma before being hit by this storm. Further downriver from here, records of 2006 were blown away. The Town Hall did have water in it, but I don't think it is as extensive as in 2006.
Hopefully, this flood is the 100 year flood that 2006 was supposed to be and we'll never have to go through this again!
I took the girls to their music lessons on Wednesday. It was raining, but we didn't think too much about it since it wasn't as strong of a storm as Irene...or so we thought! Wayne called me on the cell phone and told me my boss had called to tell me that Unadilla was in a state of emergency and the roads were closed due to severe flooding. The river hadn't looked bad when I drove up through so I was surprised, but the rain had picked up so I thought they were just being overly cautious. The girls finished their lessons and I received another call from Wayne...don't come home the regular way. The road is under water and they are evacuating people. We made our way towards Unadilla and I told the girls that we would go a back way. We started up that route and had to turn around since that was underwater. The local fire department was filled with emergency workers so I stopped and asked them how to get home. They told me if I hurried another back road was still passable. Over an hour after we left Oneonta (normally a 20 minute trip) we arrived home. Wayne was at the Town Hall helping my boss deal with the emergency situation--people were being rescued by boat on the other end of town!
While Wayne helped my boss field phone calls, a tax assessor, his son, the court clerk and her husband, and I started moving things up higher. Hadn't we just finished doing this!?!The rain kept coming and the river started rising, but it was the smaller tributaries which were causing major damage. Roads that didn't have any real problems in the flood of 2006 were heavily hit. We started herding animals into the barns. Sheep can be VERY stubborn (no wonder God calls his children 'sheep' in the Bible!). It took us over an hour to get them into the barn. By then it was dark and I started packing clothes 'just in case' we were evacuated. Before the first bag was packed the fire department was at our door telling us we should get out while we could.
We knew the animals were safe for the time being and we had to get the kids out to safety so we loaded the vehicles, checked on our neighbors to make sure they were all set to get out, prayed that we'd be able to get back to move the animals to higher ground later, and headed to a friends house to plan our next step.We ended up moving into Matthew's and Nathanial's church basement which had lots of space for the kids to play, a working kitchen, a food pantry if needed, and close enough for us to try to get back to the animals. By the time we were settling the kids at the church it was after 11 p.m. The animals would have to wait until morning.Wayne, Marc, Rachael, Matthew, and friends headed back to see if they could get to the animals. Thankfully, they were able to, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the river would flood the barns. Into the vans went the sheep and goats (I wish I had photos of that!) and then Matthew and Rachael started walking the alpaca to a farm 2 miles from us that is on higher ground. They drew quite a bit of attention and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them featured in some of the flood of 2011 pictures on the Internet! They finally got all the animals situated--alpaca and Timmy (the stinky buck goat) as well as Licorice (the extremely stubborn black sheep) at the dairy farm on the hill; Bit of Honey (the other stubborn sheep), Jessie (the mild mannered, non-smelly buck goat), and all the girl goats in the fenced yards of our friends house within a few minutes drive of the church (so Marc could milk).
We had friends who provided an air mattress for Wayne and the kids grabbed either floor space or sofa bed/sofa space...
Wayne took Marc to milk the goats this a.m. and surprised me with a call from our house! Yes, he was able to get through though the roads were still officially closed. The house has water in the basement, but it's not as bad as 2006. (the electrical panel wasn't hit, but the water heater and furnace are ruined).This afternoon we were able to return home and hopefully, tomorrow the animals will be able to come home as well. Here are some pictures of what we found upon our return...
Entering the driveway.
The field 'between' the river and our house with the remains of the garden in the foreground. Thankfully, the tomatoes and peppers were above the water line.
The sheep would have not been happy if they hadn't been forced to leave their 'comfort' zone!
The bridge 1 mile down river from our house.
As I finish writing this, I can look out our back window and see green grass in several places across the field. Thankfully, the water is receding nicely and we have MUCH to be thankful for. Many people who were hit hard along the Catskills area by Irene hadn't had a chance to recover from that trauma before being hit by this storm. Further downriver from here, records of 2006 were blown away. The Town Hall did have water in it, but I don't think it is as extensive as in 2006.Hopefully, this flood is the 100 year flood that 2006 was supposed to be and we'll never have to go through this again!
First came "Irene"
Hurricane Irene blew through last week and left us without power. Though Ian did go through a bit of a withdrawal from his favorite computer games...
this is how the kids spent their time...
Whatever did parents do without Legos?!
Rachael even designed some Lego chickens to go with her windmill creation.
We were only without electricity for 2 days. Many households were without for several days. Friends let us borrow their generator to keep the fridge and freezers cold.
At the office we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. We spent the Thursday before Irene was supposed to 'hit' moving file drawers and smaller items to 'above flood stage' height. On Tuesday we were back in the office putting everything back into place. Little did we know that within a few days we'd be repeating all of that work!
this is how the kids spent their time...
Whatever did parents do without Legos?!
Rachael even designed some Lego chickens to go with her windmill creation.
We were only without electricity for 2 days. Many households were without for several days. Friends let us borrow their generator to keep the fridge and freezers cold.At the office we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. We spent the Thursday before Irene was supposed to 'hit' moving file drawers and smaller items to 'above flood stage' height. On Tuesday we were back in the office putting everything back into place. Little did we know that within a few days we'd be repeating all of that work!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A First for Linda
Several months ago I made the commitment to get in better physical shape. I've been putting in a lot of walking miles over the months and have been eating much healthier thanks to a great program called First Place for Health. Each week I get together with a wonderful group of ladies to go over a Bible study and to relearn how we look at food and other things that get in the way of our relationship with Christ. I had made a goal (unbeknown to anyone) to participate in a 5K walk/run within the year. At one of our weekly meetings, Annmarie mentioned that there was an upcoming 5K in the Binghamton area where participants could raise sponsorship for a local crisis pregnancy center. She and I decided that we'd do the 5K together and we prepared for our first 5K walk/run. Today was the day and here's a picture to prove that we both raised enough pledges to receive a free t-shirt on which to proudly display our race numbers! 
We weren't the last to cross the finish line and we made it through the course under 52 minutes so we were happy. Knowing that we had helped earn money for a great organization was an added bonus. Annmarie has declared that the next 5K will be done under 45 minutes. Who knows maybe someday we'll actually be one of those 'crazy runners' who were done with the race before we had even reached the first mile!
We weren't the last to cross the finish line and we made it through the course under 52 minutes so we were happy. Knowing that we had helped earn money for a great organization was an added bonus. Annmarie has declared that the next 5K will be done under 45 minutes. Who knows maybe someday we'll actually be one of those 'crazy runners' who were done with the race before we had even reached the first mile!
Pennsylvania Trip
In July Mom Jackson, Dan, and Shawn (Wes & Chris's grandson) drove up from Georgia to attend 2 family reunions and a 50th anniversary party. Because of all the other events, she couldn't make it out to this part of New York so if we couldn't get her to the New York Jacksons, the NY Jacksons would go to her! I drove Wayne and the four youngest out on a Sunday afternoon, drove back home on Monday to hold down things on the farm with Marc. They had a great time visiting with family and took a day trip to a local attraction called Rock City.
Here's Gramma and 4 of her 'grands' (sorry for the blurry image in the center, there must have been a smudge on the camera lens)...
Ian needed a rest.
The trails wind through huge rock formations and were a cool place to hang out during temps in the high 90's.
Of course, my gang always takes advantage of opportunities to goof off...
On Wednesday I drove back out to pick up Wayne, Katelyn, Jon, and Ian. Rachael went with Gramma J. and Aunt Millie to Michigan to visit Wayne's sister for a couple of days. The following Monday I met Gramma, Uncle Dan, Shawn and Rachael in Corning, NY as the southern Jacksons headed home for Georgia.
Here's Gramma and 4 of her 'grands' (sorry for the blurry image in the center, there must have been a smudge on the camera lens)...
Ian needed a rest.
The trails wind through huge rock formations and were a cool place to hang out during temps in the high 90's.
Of course, my gang always takes advantage of opportunities to goof off...
On Wednesday I drove back out to pick up Wayne, Katelyn, Jon, and Ian. Rachael went with Gramma J. and Aunt Millie to Michigan to visit Wayne's sister for a couple of days. The following Monday I met Gramma, Uncle Dan, Shawn and Rachael in Corning, NY as the southern Jacksons headed home for Georgia.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Catching up...Again!
How can it be July already?! The calendar insists that it is so here I am trying to catch up on all that has been going on for the past few weeks.
Matthew and Nathanial went to their friends' wedding a couple of weeks ago and dressed up for the occasion. Here's a pic of my handsome young men...
Ian lost his two front teeth the other night. The older kids were having fun listening to him say words like "Mississippi".
We've been having lots of rain over the past few weeks. The boys needed to get outside and play off some excess energy. Here they are "fishing" from their big brothers' canoe which was filling with water. They grabbed one of Mom's good pots and started bailing water before Dad confiscated the pot.
Birthday season is winding down (2 more to go later this month). Here's Marc and Katelyn with a couple of their gifts...
Matthew and Nathanial went to their friends' wedding a couple of weeks ago and dressed up for the occasion. Here's a pic of my handsome young men...
Ian lost his two front teeth the other night. The older kids were having fun listening to him say words like "Mississippi".
We've been having lots of rain over the past few weeks. The boys needed to get outside and play off some excess energy. Here they are "fishing" from their big brothers' canoe which was filling with water. They grabbed one of Mom's good pots and started bailing water before Dad confiscated the pot.
Birthday season is winding down (2 more to go later this month). Here's Marc and Katelyn with a couple of their gifts...
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