It has been a rainy week here, and Tim and I have commented several times how fortunate we were that he was able to get that tractor unstuck and home before all this hit. The water levels are crazy. The small streams and creeks rise and recede in crazily short times. There was quite a bit of flooding behind the old house (where most of the stockpiled stuff for the new house is stored). I am quite sure that had we walked down back where the tractor was, it would have been under water as well.
But...all's well that ends well.
(and next spring, I will chain the tractor to a very large something!)
We live below a large hydroelectric dam called the Kinzua Dam, and the reservoir, which spans just short of 19 miles is normally at 1304 feet. It is currently at 1327 feet. Normal water output is just over 2000 cubic feet per second. It is currently at 7500 cfs. The water level in the reservoir is not dropping. The plan is to increase that output to 15,000 cfs. When the Allegheny river levels are high like that, all the creeks and streams that flow into it are much higher than usual as well. We are in no real flood danger, but it is certainly something that people need to be aware of, especially if they have children. People do get swept into that water and lost.
The biggest news here, however, is Monday's eclipse. Everyone is keeping a close eye on the weather. We are on the very edge of totality. We are due to have total darkness for 47 seconds or something like that. The farther west you go, the longer that totality will last. My son and daughter in law will arrive here tomorrow, spend the night here, and then Sunday afternoon head to Erie, where they have a hotel room booked for two days. Erie should have close to 4 minutes of totality, which will be very exciting for the girls.
We are driving to meet them there. We will leave very early on Monday, to get there before the worst of the traffic, and spend the day with them. William and his parents will meet up with us there as well.
The worst part of the whole viewing experience is supposed to be getting out of town when it is over. Dylan and Brittani drove to see an eclipse back in (??) 2017 or 2018. When it was over, he said that traffic was so congested that it took them 2 hours to drive 8 miles. So we are hoping to have a quiet family cookout after the eclipse while we wait for the worst of the traffic to subside.
The only thing that would goof our plans up is the weather. After a very rainy overcast week, it is supposed to stop raining for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It will be partly cloudy all three of those days. They are still predicting that we will have a good viewing experience, which will be nice. Tuesday, the rains move back in again, and the rest of the week will see us returning to the rain.
Boy. I am SO glad Tim got his tractor unstuck!
Definitely good luck about tractor. Whew! Been there ourselves. Our neighbor once got his stuck in a pond somehow, and managed to pull it in half trying to get it out!
ReplyDeleteI am sure the flooding is worrying. It is for us too...not personally but for all those along the rivers and creeks. Cleaning up a flooded house or business is horrible. I have helped with that several times, and feel for anyone facing that mess.
Lol. I can totally imagine the shock of that! We have not had that kind of flooding here. It pooled up high in the back yard of that old house though. It really affirmed our decision to build new...at the top end of our land.
DeleteGreat eclipse plans with family! Good to know the water levels are up there, and hopefully that will curtail forest fires this summer!
ReplyDeleteWe are very much looking forward to having all the grands under one roof!
DeleteHope you get to see the eclipse..we should have been able to see a comet last night..of course it rained!!
ReplyDeleteOh no! That is disappointing! What comet was it???! Off to Google.
DeleteA green one apparently...we rarely get a clear sky when something interesting is happening
DeleteOh gz!!!!! Thank you SO much for mentioning this. I think it is the Pons Brooks comet you are referring to AND IT WILL BE VISIBLE DURING THE ECLIPSE!!!
DeleteSounds like our rain arrived over there Debby. Enjoy your family get together.
ReplyDeleteWell next time you just keep your rain, mister! My last book arrived, by the way! Guess where it was from? Leabharlann Chontae Liatroma!
DeleteWhen we had the eclipse here in 1999 it was cloudy which rather spoiled things although it was still very spooky.
ReplyDeleteThere was an eclipse in Michigan when my children were in school. I asked the elementary school how they were going to mark the occasion. They said the shades would be drawn and that the children would be kept away from windows. It shocked me. I signed them out of school, took them to some sand dunes and we watched the whole thing through a pinhole projector.
DeleteHope the eclipse viewing doesn't get washed out.
ReplyDeleteI think your rain is making its way towards us. Before that we have Storm Kathleen to look forward to tonight and the weekend.
Ugh. So tired of wet and cold. How is Lord P coming on the boat?
DeleteWell Debby, as your "downstairs neighbor" I am keeping my fingers crossed for clear skies for that eclipse--as for more rain, please say it isn't so. I just walked home from the barber, getting pelted with snow and frozen rain the whole way. Where's spring?
ReplyDeleteWe had snow and then some small hail. And then some snow...argh! I feel your pain.
DeleteContinuous rain is miserable but I suppose it tops up the reservoirs. Looks a good family outing for the eclipse.
ReplyDeleteMore water than we need, but I suppose it is better than the opposite! I wish we could just share the stuff with those who need it!
DeleteI’m not really getting into the eclipse thing this time around although it will be close to total here.
ReplyDeleteWe watched the last one from our front yard with two paper plates. I remember the surprise of being able to see hundred of images of the eclipse as the sun shown through the maple leaves on the sidewalk. The mailman came and we showed him. He took the plates to show the people on his route. It was such a neat afternoon.
DeleteI remember the Kinzua Dam from Buffy Sainte-Marie's song, "Now That the Buffalo's Gone." Thank goodness you got that tractor unstuck! Holy cow!
ReplyDeleteThe timing could not have been more fortuitous. We had a stretch of dry days before the heavens opened. Just enough to dry things out so that he could lift the tractor out.
DeleteI don't know about the Kinzua Dam, but our government but several dams along the length of the river I live by for flood control. The problem is that tourism takes over and so they keep the resulting reservoirs high so the boaters and others can enjoy them. Then whenever we get large amounts of rain, they have to release large amounts of water to not overtop the dams and thus flood all of us downstream. Our worst flood ever was after both dams had been built and in use for over a decade.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a clear view for the eclipse. I'm not going closer so will only see 89% totality but we are forecasted to have nary a cloud in the sky. Best part, I'll be viewing from my back deck so the commute back to my easy chair should be minimal!
No one boats in the winter here. The launches and marinas are closed. If the kids were not coming, we would have just stayed home too.
DeleteI think the weather is looking good for the eclipse up your way. Not so much down here. Two of my children live in the path of totality, so I'm going to stay with one of them. I figure even if the weather is a bust, we'll still have a great time together.
ReplyDeleteWin-win situation! Enjoy the day however it works out Kelly!
DeleteWhoa- that tractor might have been history if you hadn't pulled it out when you did.
ReplyDeleteI will tell you that the last solar eclipse we had freaked the hell out of me. There is some primitive, pagan part of me that DID NOT LIKE IT! It was the weirdest thing. It literally made my stomach hurt. I hear about everyone driving hundreds of miles to experience more of it and I just want to hide i a closet. I'm weird.
Really? I guess there is something primal about it, but I found it exciting.
DeleteSo glad about the tractor and feel your concern about all that water! Over here in NH we just endured our 2nd Noreaster in the past two weeks. Eighteen inches of snow for us the 1st storm, and now 14 inches of snow dumped on us during the past 36 hours. Oye. The electric company said 96,000 households without power. About half have now been restored. The good news is: It's April, it's supposed to hit close to 60 degrees by next Monday. It's going to melt away very quickly. The Eclipse totality will be about 75 miles north of us on Monday, but we're going to stay put and enjoy the only 97% totality.
ReplyDeleteOur last eclipse was a partial one, and we found plenty to be amazed by! Compared to the new England states, we are getting off light. Although my son Dylan was in an earthquake today...
DeleteWe enjoyed watching the last eclipse in our cul de sac... on chair... with glasses and it was total!! This time Kansas City will be 95% but still a great event. School districts have purchased glasses and the kids with be allowed to participate!!
ReplyDeleteWe honestly would have just stayed home, left to our own devices, but we can't miss something like this with some of our favorite people. I am sure it will be a good time.
DeleteEven if it is cloudy, it will still become dark I guess. Exciting! I remember a full eclipse in the 60s and it was amazing. The birds started to roost, the street lights came on, the temperature dropped sharply. While it defies logic, it seemed to slowly become dark but immediately light.
ReplyDeleteEven with the partial eclipses, I remember the silence and the immediate cooling.
DeleteHere is hoping. We were blessed with neighbours who offered to do our lawn while Vince was in hospital - it has been such a wet March and the rain has just returned (neighbours managed to do the front and about half of the back). Enjoy the family gathering!
ReplyDeleteGood grief!!!! What happened to Vince????
DeleteHe is back home now. Heart attack.
Delete😳 is he okay??!!
DeleteAngiogram fixed the blockage - has a new perspective on life and at least 1 year to get back to fullish function.
DeleteGees, Jeanie...good luck to you all. Vince is younger than I am, right? (67)
DeleteHe is 59
DeleteEclipses seem to be bigger deals than ever with people traveling many miles for good view.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I have ever experienced a total eclipse. This is exciting to me.
DeleteI live in an area where many small streams drain down from the nearby chalk hills. Most of them maintain a fairly steady flow, even in wet weather. However one has been straightened and made to drain what would otherwise be a swampy area - the water level on that one goes up and down like a yo-yo. It seems we can tinker too much with our environment. I've seen a very near total eclipse once and that was quite impressive.
ReplyDeleteOur swampy areas are due to the beavers down where we are building, and the water levels are shockingly variable. We are glad to have built on the opposite side of the property.
DeleteAn eclipse is exciting and other-worldly. Hope the skies are clear for you.
ReplyDeleteOh, me too. Gz has alerted me to a comet that will be visible too. How freaking cool is that????
DeleteHave a wonderful day and a good visit with your family. Enjoy the eclipse.
ReplyDeleteOh I am having such a wonderful time!
DeleteI remember with the last eclipse my brother and his family were stuck in traffic coming home - a 2 hour drive took over 6 hours! I feel pretty "meh" about the eclipse for some reason.
ReplyDeleteBut I hope you enjoy your visit with your family!
The visit has been wonderful.
DeleteThanks for visiting my blog again - I have been away from the keyboard too long. Unlike my brothers (ugh) who think that caring for elderly relatives is best done from their desktop and a distance - all ideas and no action!!! Shameful.
ReplyDeleteWe too have rain and wind and more wind and rain and more rain and ... you get the idea... I so want it to settle down.
There was an eclipse about 15 years ago here - very odd it was too. We had only about 98% and I suspect that small difference is huge in terms of light. I hope you enjoy your trip.
I am glad to see you back, Mark. In the end, this is what I think. You get what you give. As frustrating as it is, these are your last days with your mom. They will be precious.
DeleteHave fun watching the eclipse with your family! I don’t have the special glasses, so I’ll just observe the change in the light… while I spend some more time cleaning up my garden! We bought a peach tree today, and that’s far more exciting to me than the eclipse😅I hope the rain is gone now..! I had nothing to do with it this time either😜😂 - Rigmor
ReplyDeleteYou're probably going about things in a sensible way. It is very cloudy this morning, which is a disappointment. But it is supposed to clear off sometime this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI could not find eclipse glasses, so I just sat in backyard with the dog until it got dark, and really cold. The dogs in the neighbourhood started barking, the squirrels started chattering, all the security and street lights came on, so weird. Now the sun is back.. my dog must be confused as she hasn’t asked for her dinner yet. Hope you got a good view of the eclipse! Gigi
ReplyDeleteIt worked out perfectly!
DeleteWow! Have I been away this long?
ReplyDeleteWe've been dealing with quite a lot of things these last few days. It's all part of caregiving and adjusting what we do. And.... after writing on my blog about the wifi/TV/phone thing everything with Hawaiiantel went kaplooey! And mom's dementia is worsening.... Anyway... it is what it is. Like you... we'll work it out eventually.