July 1-8, 2006

It rained again hard all night and seeing it again in the morning was hard to take. Joe had the coffee made and I started filling a lunch bag. We would be heading out on the Otsego County Veterans Van to Albany VA for a very important appointment –a consultation at ENT for determining whether a c implant would work for Joe. All was going well until Joe said,” I can’t find my wallet or bill! From VA billing.”

“Take your meds and read your blood sugar and I will help you.” We are running a little late.” He sat down uneasy and did what I asked. In the meantime, lunch was made. I fixed Patchy’s breakfast, but she did not eat it. I think she is unhappy that we are leaving again. A quick check of possibilities and then I went to the computer and there was his wallet and not far away was the bill for meds, which brought a big smile. “What would I do without you, he said…” Ok, we are all set. After reassuring Patchy that we would return, we secured the house and ran through the pouring rain to the car and off we went at 7:15 am. We had no umbrella, as I had left it at the office so it was going to be a wet trip. . . .

Joe’s driveway had two fast streams of water running down to the road and the ditches there were running fast too. The neighbor’s horses were in of 6-8 inches of mud. Dark clouds and rain were unrelenting. It took just about five minutes to get to the Wilber Bank parking lots where driver, Gary Allen, would pick us up. While waiting in the car, I discovered that a yogurt container had opened in the lunch bag and it was a mess. Nothing I could do now, but wait till be got to Albany. Gary arrived just about 7:45am with three other veterans on board. When we got to Richmondville, on I-88, a ray of sunshine was peeking through the dark, steel gray low flying cloud. They looked like a space frontier from Star Wars. Joe calls the ride over Crumhorn Mountain-Wilderness Trail! When we reached Albany the sun was out and the roads were dry. Thank Heavens.

We got a FREE container of Hazelnut coffee, because we had purchased 10 over the last few months of visits. It tasted so good, but soon we had to find a restroom. I was able to clean the lunch bag too. First stop was X-rays and then, billing and then the library, where I am working now on this account. Joe heads for the war stories books, which he enjoys reading. He is very patriotic and often will watch the Military channel for hours. Now for the consultation at ENT. Say a prayer for him.

We waited about an hour to see the specialist; from there all went well. She said, “Joe will do very well with the implants, because he could hear before. It didn’t matter that it was about 1998 when he lost his hearing all together.

Gary and the other veterans were waiting for us and soon we were on the road headed back home in the beautiful sunshine. It did not last long. We hit heavy rain again in Richmondville; the wipers could hardly clear up. Gary asked what I was going to do, now that the Crier had discontinued What’s Cookin’? I told him I was working on some solutions, one of which was a website, but I still need to get a vehicle to carry it locally. I had a great conversation with Steve, another veteran. He read the column too and taught himself the in and out of working on a computer. He shared that he met Jackie, his wife of four years, on the computer and she too, loves it.

It seems like it was around 2:30pm, when we arrived in Oneonta to find emergency crews and police and WATER! There was flooding we were told. Gary got us to Milford and then we made an effort to get to Joe’s place. It took three tries, three roads, all washed out or flooded. It felt good to have our feet on the doorstep.

Torrents of rain continued through the night and the next day. When morning came we found we were unable to leave, as the road on both ends was bad. The water in the ditches was coming so hard and fast that it washed away the edges, leaving deep chasms, which we were not sure, would hold. The road was closed. Otsego County roads were closed and bus service lost, so I did not go to work that day or the next. Neighboring farmers used their equipment to clear debris, which help free the commuters.

I was finally able to get home and found that water had filled the front and back fields and left a foot and a half of water in my cellar. My barn and shed also were filled with water, a water line mark on the metal shed showed over a foot on water there.. My son, Andy, contacted the Hartwick Fire Department to pump out the cellar when they could. I was not the only one in trouble. Cornfields were washed away and vital topsoil with them. It has been devastating. Most bridges in our area are gone. It will be some time for it to recover. You can see the damage on www.WKTV.com or www.TheDailyStar.com Needless to say; it is in the LORD’S hands now.

After A couple of days, Joe returned to help with the cleanup. The water had gone down some and receded to within ten feet of the out buildings. We opened the doors and everything was covered with mud. Joe thought to bring boards so that we could move the mower, which we hoped would start. Believe it or not, she started right up, Praise the LORD! The push mower did not respond as the water had gone over her. We managed to get them out in the lot. Now for the big one- would the water pump come on? We looked at one another and prayed as I flipped the switch. Hallelujah! We cleaned then with the hose and then Joe decided he would cut what he could cut while I weed-whacked. It was a lot of work but we did it. Tomorrow would be another day.

Amidst all the confusion and concern, I did have some good news. I checked the Bluebird nesting box and found three fledglings waiting for dinner. If they can survive, we can.

Thought for the Week: When danger approaches, sing to it. . .

Bob Hope comment on receiving the Congressional gold Medal: “I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.”