On the way home i came across a family of turkeys attempting to cross Route 103. I stopped in case they needed a traffic-stoppage, but they decided to wander off down the side of the road instead of crossing.

Rain.

Rain.

Rain.

More rain. Zero guests in the challenge course.

It had been hinted that Okemo wouldn’t open today, but i never got official word. When the reports started coming in that Ludlow was flooding and the roads were closing, i assumed (correctly) that everything was closed. I went out a few times during the day and watched the Mill River rise up to just over one of the three bridges in town and got interviewed by a local TV reporter! The power blinked a couple times but never went out and the water level in the river went down pretty rapidly after cresting in the late afternoon.

Took the drone out to survey the damage, but the river was down to normal. Got some nice shots of the village, though. Also discovered that i’d gotten water in my camera lens, so it was all fogged up. I put it in front of a fan for 24 hours and used one of my manual lenses for the day. And my basement was flooded.

Took my truck in for service and went over to the makerspace to do some laser engraving of a wood calendar i was making. I had pulled the Scamp out of the garage and discovered that the electrical connection was all rusted so i asked the Toyota place if they could replace it. They said they’d have to order a part and could do it in a week.

Found out that Okemo would be closed for a week, so looked around for a place that could fix my trailer connection sooner so i could go down to Shunk.

When i was driving back from Rutland the day before, i noticed the washout on the railroad tracks. I took the dogs for a walk up there, then got the drone out and took some pictures. That afternoon i took my truck over to BigTex trailers and they fixed the hitch in less than an hour.

Loaded up the truck, hooked up the Scamp, and drove down to Shunk.

Spent some time today constructing a bench with the laser-engraved backer piece that i’d made at The Mint. I placed it on the high spot where Mommy always had a bench, which had rotted apart in recent years. I also put up the wood infinite calendar that i’d made.

Paul, Casey, and Storm arrived. They pulled up and Paul said “i wasn’t expecting you to be here.” I replied “i was expecting you to be here!”

I went out for a canoe ride in the evening, leaving the dogs on shore. When i was approaching the dock, Bulo started swimming out to me and to my surprise, Koey went right after him. That was the first time i’d seen her swim! You can just see their heads in the sunset-lit lake waters.

Paul and i taught Casey how to use the chainsaw and drive the tractor today. Later, Paul, Casey, Storm, the dogs, and i drove down to Rock Run, then up to Band Rock Vista. As we were standing on the rock, we noticed a big rattlesnake hanging out in a tree that was just poking up at the edge of the vista.

Lots more people arrived today and we had appetizers and conversation down at the other house.

I went for a dog walk in the morning and picked what flowers i could find, making a little bouquet. My sisters added to it and we handed out flowers at the burial service for my mother, Joanne Baumunk Ford. After the service, we had lunch at the fire hall, then family time and campfire.

Thomas and i got out the sculling trainer boat and each did a bit of time on it. That evening, Caroline and Nina and i went to the Ellenton church, which the Eby’s had opened up for us to have a look around. I left Caroline drive my truck home and i walked back down the grade with the dogs.

I took a walk up Cherry Hill Road with the dogs. On the way out the grade, i discovered that the reason that the tractor had died was not, as Brian had surmised, a bad alternator, but that the metal bar that held the battery down had slid so that it was touching both battery terminals.

When i was at the top of the ridge, i saw dark clouds and heard rumbles of thunder. I headed down and it started to lightly rain. When i got to the top of the lake, it started raining harder, I got onto the lake path under the trees and was doing okay until it started raining really hard. Then i saw a bright flash through the trees, maybe a couple hundred feet away, and an immediate huge boom! I hurried on and soon after that, it started hailing. I made it back to the house very very wet, the dogs having preceeded me in through the dog door.

When the rain stopped, i discovered that my canoe had been blown off the dock and was floating out in the lake. It wasn’t too full of water and i towed it home easily. After that i fetched the battery from the tractor and hooked it up to the battery charger in the garage at the other house, i followed Thomas to the end of the grade when he had his truck towed away to be fixed, and Paul, Nina, Casey, Thomas and i went to the bench to spread some of Mommy’s ashes.

Took a walk with Paul in the morning, then headed home.

Went to the farm and took pictures, got my eBay skis in the mail, then took some more pictures of the work being done on the railroad. Also discovered that my water heater wouldn’t start. Very cold shower.

Okemo opens up after being closed for two weeks, aaaaaaand, rain. But it held off in the evening and we played some good ultimate, followed by another very cold shower.

Foggy morning. Water heater got fixed while i was at work.

Rain.

Rain.