Video from Shelburne Falls

Since I don't think we can actually drive there at this point...

Above the dam and showing the quilting studio

Lamson Goodnow (on the road past the quilting studio - you can see a bit of the dam in this one

Bridge of Flowers

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I also looked for video on Greenfield but there wasn't anything that really showed what was happening. Probably wasn't safe enough to go out. There are photos online though, if you look around. Clessonbrook Road is a total mess, Nash's Mill Road was underwater (we take this road to go to the farmers co-op), and I'm sure that's not all.

There are a lot of roads and bridges washed out.

There should be video footage at the pumping station bridge but I can't find it right now. Also, Lyle found footage yesterday of a different covered bridge as it washed away :(

Status

Beautiful, sunny, and clear!

L is done using the sump pump in the basement. It is still damp, but windows and door are open to help air it out. Humidity is still a mite high indoors too.

Things are getting put out again, bit by bit. L's out at the barn right now to check on the leaky areas and, if need be, pull out bales to dry. Then down to see to more things with the chickens, etc.

We helped take a bunch of pears off friends' heavily-loaded pear tree, Saturday afternoon. They're a little hard yet, so now they're all wrapped in paper so they can ripen properly.

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It is possible to get from Ashfield to Shelburne Falls if you take March Road.

It is possible to get to Greenfield if you use Rt. 5 & 10.

We are pretty sure we can use Rt. 116 to get to Amherst.

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Pretty much nobody can get to Charlemont from here, except special vehicles. Parts of Hawley have similar issues. West Hawley can be accessed on foot. Most of Rt. 8A is gone.

Clessonbrook Rd in G'fld Buckland currently is not a road but rather a hiking path, and a rough one at that. This road goes to Tregellys Farm.

Wilmington VT is still cut off. Montpelier VT may have to flood itself on purpose, to save a dam. I didn't check this morning, but Heath is probably still cut off too, since they usually are when something major happens weather-wise.

I believe most other towns are working on recovery. Ashfield is doing pretty well.

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All things considered, it is not too bad, and could have been much worse.

And we learned some interesting things, like Northampton has a portable flood wall that was build back in the 1950s, that they broke out and used this past weekend.

It was also easy to understand why L's ancestors used such large rocks for the sugarhouse's retaining wall -- not the least bit over-engineered, thanks.

Also, while they had put in a decent drainage system in the hay field, they also shaped the land so there was a swale to carry water down and away into the river. It was very noticeable during the hurricane. A lot of good thinking and planning went into the making of this farm.

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Time for me to go do stuff :)

Satellite Dish Solar Cooker

During a lesser storm preceding Irene, we had a brief power surge -- just strong enough to take out the router for the internet provider. L picked up a temporary thingie to tide us over until J of Charlemont TV could bring the new equipment, so we'd at least have a connection. Apparently we weren't the only folks who lost equipment in that storm...

Anyway, today he was able to come here over the high back road, and installed all new equipment -- we are going for a slight upgrade, that will hopefully match our use patterns better (esp. L's for work). J left the old loaner and the old dish here -- too outdated to use, for the most part, and likely after Irene there may be more work to do, so he'll have a surplus of old equipment anyway.

I thought we could try turning the dish into a solar cooker, since it has a good shape to it and a mounting bracket already. Well, I just did a quick Google and was rewarded with quite a few hits on how-to's. So, that'll be a fun project when we have time to play with it.