Well if anyone wanted a weather week to remember in the United States this would be one for sure, especially for those living in South Carolina. From the looks of the pictures of flooding there and in other Atlantic coastal states there will be a lot to repair.
Even though Hurricane Joaquin never hit the coast the weather events that it triggered dropped over two feet of rain in some areas in three days.
Whenever that much rain falls there is going to be lots of flooding damage and some loss of life.
I saw where eight dams were breached and many major roads and bridges were washed out.
The high tides that came during this storm pushed waters six to ten feet above normal up rivers and inlets that were running way above flood stage already.
Those homes that were flooded up to the second story must have been a total loss.
The little I have seen of the natural world this week was while in my vehicle traveling back and forth to Utica.
The leaves are beautiful up this way but dull down toward the city.
The sumac trees are a brilliant red along Route 12 from Remsen south.
The red maples that hadn’t lost their leaves during the dry time a couple weeks ago are brighter along waterways and lake shorelines.
A couple of ooh and ah moments along the highways are from the Thendara Bridge toward the new TOBIE Path bridge and another looking up Bald Mountain Pond.
On the way home from Utica with my daughter Erin today we stopped to photograph the fringed gentians along Route 28 between Inlet and Eagle Bay.
I found a monarch butterfly chrysalis that was coloring up. I hope it hatches before too long.
The state mowed the shoulders way back and exposed all of the litter that some of our summer guests left us on their way out of town.
It’s easier to pick it up now rather than let the snow flatten it over the winter—plus you might make a few bucks from the bottles and cans you find.
I have been traveling to the city to see Karen who had a small accident that turned out big.
Last Sunday while washing windows she missed the last step of the step ladder, went over backwards and hit her head on the big bird bath.
When I came home she told me she didn’t break the bird bath; she had even set it back up and filled it with water.
The hit on the side of her head didn’t turn black and blue—unlike the other bumps she has had because she is on blood thinners, which help operate her mechanical heart valve.
She said she felt okay so we took a long walk around Moss Lake. Towards the end of our walk her head began to hurt. Blood was leaking into her brain cavity causing pressure on her brain.
The Old Forge Ambulance rushed her to St. Elizabeth’s where it was decided to operate immediately.
Dr. Soults and a great operating room support staff did the procedure and luckily stopped the bleed and saved her life.
Karen is a private person—though many of you see her smiling face at the Old Forge Library all the time.
However, she asked me today (10/5) when I was going to write about her. I told her that I wrote just what happened because so many of her fans have been asking about her.
Thanks for all your caring, cards, calls, visits, flowers and treats. There is going to be some recovery time but I hope it’s not going to be too long before you see her smiling face at the Library again.
Many folks down south are really hurting…but that’s another story. See ya.
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Editor’s note: Happy 70th Birthday, Karen! October 7th