All posts tagged flooding

Knobby Knees

Giant cypress knees and tree bases

Giant cypress knees and tree bases

Today was one of those days when plans just don’t work out.  Ron woke up coughing, sneezing — and grumpy!  🙂

More giant cypress knees

More giant cypress knees

Instead of hitting the museum, we took it easy most of the morning.  Read a bit.  Walked the dogs.  Cleaned the trailer.  I discovered some real surprises when I cleaned the refrigerator.

If you have a small camper refrigerator, you know how it is.  There’s not enough room to put away the groceries, so stuff gets piled on top of stuff, and the things in the back disappear from memory.

More cypress knees.

More cypress knees. It occurred to me that if the limestone underneath did cave in, the ground would probably still be supported (for a while) by all the cypress roots.

I discovered an almost liquid yellow squash in the abyss along with a brown-spotted cabbage.  And several styrofoam take out containers.  When I finished, the refrigerator had been scrubbed and sanitized.  Half of the stuff was thrown out, and I can find the things that are left.

This was the last of our perfect outdoor days for a while.  It got up to 67 with sunny skies.  Sheba and I walked down to the day use area and just meandered around admiring the cypress swamps, the river, the sunshine, and the incredible aura of peace that pervaded the area.

Flood level marker (I accidentally cut off the top mark), A sign said that it generally floods like that about 4 times a decade.

Flood level marker (I accidentally cut off the top mark). A sign said that it generally floods like that about 4 times a decade.

Then I came back and grilled ribs.  Ron was recovered enough to enjoy the ribs, so he’ll be fine tomorrow.

It’s going down to 24 tonight, and tomorrow’s high will be in the mid 40’s.  So it remains to be seen what we will feel like doing outdoors.  It looks to me like it would be a great novel-reading day.

We will eventually get to the museum.  Manana!  (Which I have been told does not mean “tomorrow,” but “not today.”)   🙂

Classic CCC construction

Classic CCC construction

Limestone outcroppings

Limestone outcroppings

Rock remainders of one of the mill dams

Rock remainders of one of the mill dams

Nature doesn't miss an opportunity to fill a vacuum. Here a new little shrub or tree grows out of a knothole on a fallen tree.

Nature doesn’t miss an opportunity to fill a vacuum. Here a new little shrub or tree grows out of a knothole on a fallen tree.

 

I have often seen old trees down by rivers covered with resurrection ferns. But this was the first time I had seen the ferns just beginning to colonize a tree trunk.

I have often seen old trees down by rivers covered with resurrection ferns. But this was the first time I had seen the ferns just beginning to colonize a tree trunk.

Little Sunny. Almost blind, almost deaf, and with severe arthritis. He walks until he bumps into something then heads the other way undaunted. He still love sniffing trails, eating, and getting under his chin scratched. :)

Little Sunny. Almost blind, almost deaf, and with severe arthritis. He walks until he bumps into something then heads the other way undaunted. He still loves sniffing trails, eating, and getting under his chin scratched. 🙂

 

 

 

 

by tinycamper on January 7, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Camping, Casita
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Posted by tinycamper on January 7, 2015

https://tinycamper.org/2015/01/07/knobby-knees/

Camping Plans, a Little Progress & Sheba’s Buddy

Playing is hard work!

Playing is hard work!

I found out today that the campground we were planning to visit next week has still not reopened since the early May floods.  So I’m not sure whether we will get out next week or the following week.

Wood support for the Fantastic Fan

Wood support for the Fantastic Fan

In the meantime, I have just finished making my fourth interior support for the Fantastic Fan installation.  I can’t cut straight cuts with my jig saw, can’t get it to look like I want it to look, so have finally given up and will just use this one the way it is.  Tomorrow I’ll get the wiring done, then, between rains, cut the hole in the Casita’s roof and FINALLY get the thing installed–hopefully this week.

Chase and Sheba

Chase and Sheba

I am so afraid of this job, so have done some serious foot dragging on getting started!  I also have to cut the plastic interior surround down which involves scoring the plastic sides, cutting the corners, then breaking the plastic along the score lines.  I do hope I don’t destroy it in the process!

Today my neighbor Cindy brought her dog Chase down to play with Sheba.  Sheba loves it when Chase comes to visit.  They have a blast together.  They play until they get

Another shot of Chase and Sheba

Another shot of Chase and Sheba

tired, take breaks, then play again until they are exhausted.

In the meantime, Cindy and I get to catch up on each other’s news.

My favorite roses, again.

My favorite roses, again.

 

by tinycamper on May 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Camping, Casita
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Posted by tinycamper on May 21, 2013

https://tinycamper.org/2013/05/21/camping-plans-a-little-progress-shebas-buddy/

Coffins Floating in Suwannee County

Coffins floating out of the ground in Suwannee County, FL

I talked with Mom today.  The roads to town are still flooded from Tropical Storm Debby.  Very fortunately, my family in Florida always keep a hurricane pantry stocked with essentials to tide them over times like this.

A couple of days ago, several coffins were discovered floating.

Here’s what the Suwannee Democrat said about it:

The recent floods have also caused several coffins to emerge from the ground.

It’s hard to see in this tiny photo from a news video, but it’s another shot of floating coffins.

Suwannee County Sheriff Tony Cameron said search teams were sent out to retrieve the coffins once SCSO was notified they were floating in the flood waters.

Once collected, the coffins were taken back to the funeral home, though Sheriff Cameron did not want to specify details out of respect for the families.

The funeral home is collecting the coffins and will re-bury them when the water goes down enough.

So right now we have Americans dealing with unprecedented heat, devastating fires, the effects of the fantastic winds of a super derecho… and back home in north central Florida, epic flooding.

by tinycamper on July 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Family, Garden & Nature
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Posted by tinycamper on July 5, 2012

https://tinycamper.org/2012/07/05/coffins-floating-in-live-oak/

While the West Burns….

Downtown Live Oak

While the West burns, Mom’s little town of Live Oak, Florida was flooded with over 20″ of rain from Tropical Storm Debby.

Here’s a quote from their hometown newspaper, The Suwannee Democrat:  Water was up to the roofs at some homes in low lying areas of Live Oak, Fla., on Wednesday. Several feet of water remained around businesses in downtown near the courthouse and many roads were impassable.

Ewwwww! Don’t they know that there is nasty stuff in that water!

…Portions of Interstate 10 in Lake City, Fla., remained closed early Wednesday due to flooding. The Florida Highway Patrol said two sections of the interstate were still under water. Both sections were near the area where the highway intersects with Interstate 75.

Mom tried to go to town this morning.  She drove a short way to where a dip in the road was flooded.  Cars were lined up on the side of the road, waiting to get through one at a time.   A guy in a big truck pulled up next to Mom and told her, “You might make it through this one, but you won’t make it through the next one.”  So Mom turned around and went back home.

Needless to say, the mail is not running there.  And Mom’s worried about an order of new checks that she’s expecting any day.  🙂

When Dad bought the land many years ago, he looked for the highest land in the area.  So although Mom’s land was so sodden that the septic tank flooded, making her plumbing unusable, the house stayed above water.

She did have one of her huge old live oak trees fall onto the property next door — which is completely underwater.

But today the rain has stopped and it’s beginning to drain.  The sun is out.

Just another day in hurricane season in Florida.

by tinycamper on June 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Family, Garden & Nature
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Posted by tinycamper on June 27, 2012

https://tinycamper.org/2012/06/27/while-the-west-burns/

Taking it easy today

West Point Lake flooded trees

Flooded trees

As I am still recuperating, we took it very easy today, limiting our activities to walks around the campground.

The flooding provided some interesting landscapes, like these trees that appear to be growing in the water.

A brisk wind blew all day, whipping up the surface of the lake and making it too choppy to attempt fishing again.  But we sure did appreciate the cooling breezes.  Our site is in full sun much of the day.

Ron heads for a chair after our walk

Ron heads for a chair after our walk

We enjoyed a dinner of ribs, scalloped potatoes and lima beans as the sun set — proof that I am feeling much better.

Tomorrow I hope to have more interesting news to report!

Ron and Sunny

Ron and Sunny report the lake is too choppy for fishing today

by tinycamper on May 7, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Camping
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Posted by tinycamper on May 7, 2010

https://tinycamper.org/2010/05/07/376/

Tennessee Flooding Affecting Georgia Camping

Whitetail Ridge COE campground on West Point Lake, GA

West Point Lake COE campgrounds

We arrived at the Whitetail Ridge COE campground yesterday.  It’s one of a large number of campgrounds on West Point Lake which was creating by damming the Chattahoochee River.  The black arrow points to our campground.

When we arrived, the gate attendant told us that a lot of trash from the Tennessee flooding had washed down into the lake, and as a result the fishing here was poor.

Our site at Whitetail Ridge COE campground

Our site

There was some trash visible when we first arrived at our site, mostly along the edges of the water.  But as soon as we had set up the camper, I headed out to throw a line in.  Ron and I both fished for a while, but Ron realized it was pointless and moved onto more productive endeavors.  I, being stubborn,  continued fishing for about an hour without a single bite.  I tried again in late afternoon, then again right before dark.  Unfortunately, the gate attendant was right.

Checking out the fishing

Checking out the fishing

The full extent of the trash in the water wasn’t apparent while the tide was coming in.  But when it started receding, there was no denying its impact on the lake.

Tennessee flood trash in Georgia lake

Tennessee flood trash in Georgia lake

Ron wanted to walk around and explore, but I was not feeling well, and didn’t have the energy for hiking.

This morning I woke up really sick — diarrhea, chills and a runny nose.  I made the rounds from lawn chair to the bathroom to the bed for a while, then gave up and went to bed.  I slept until 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.  I don’t feel terribly sick now, just tired and too weak to enjoy being active.

This is not how I planned this camping trip!  🙂

We are hoping to get out and explore the area tomorrow.  If I don’t feel up to hiking, we can drive around and see the sights.

flood trash

Heartbreaking evening view of lake

View from the screen room

Earlier view from the screen room

by tinycamper on May 6, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Camping
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by tinycamper on May 6, 2010

https://tinycamper.org/2010/05/06/tennessee-flooding-affecting-our-georgia-camping-experience/

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