Fragments From Floyd

In the next day or two, we may be seeing our creeks higher than we have yet in our five years here. We've never known the creek to rise full out of its banks. But if you look our at our five acres of level pasture, it was water that flattened it in millenia past. These mountains were leveled by water and I have a great respect for its force.

We've been dry now most of the past month, so the soil has a good bit of saturation potential, given a resonable rate of rainfall (hurricanes are not noted for giving up rain at reasonable rates, of course.) We're not in line for the worst of Frances; that seems at present to be heading slightly west of us. The mountains of NC are expecting up to 25% or more of their usual annual rainfall today and tomorrow. There just isn't much of anywhere to go in those rocky hollers and it can come up fast. They could see some significant flash-flooding.

Tomorrow morning when I leave for class, I'll be carrying my chainsaw with me, just in case. There's a good chance we'll have some trees down over the road. Just to be safe, I'm sending as attachments to my yahoo account the test I'm not quite ready to print and this week's lab handout. Power could go out and be gone for days here, less likely on the University campus.

I wonder what effect all this rain might have on the fall foliage colors this year? Won't be long now it will really seem like autumn--which I guess is my favorite time of year.

Well yes, I'm rambling. Just thot I'd put up a rare afternoon post, quality notwithstanding, because I could potentially be blog-deprived for a couple of days. If you don't hear from me, you'll know Frances is visiting.