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Libertad's Journal

libertad
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09/12/2011 10:55 #55144

Shoreline Sweep Fall 2011
This Fall's shoreline sweep is on Saturday 9/24. I'm going to go clean Squaw Island again.

Honestly, I don't know why I even bother. I'm so disgusted by people in general. The trash is overwhelming.

I think this time I might focus on sweeping up all the glass. I see kids throwing glass botttles all the time and I have gotten probably like 10 flats this season. I never used to get flats, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I even spent extra money on Kevlar tires and I wish I didn't cause I have only gotten more flats. At least if I clean up the glass I might get less flat tires. If I clean up the trash they just come and dirty it all up again in as little as a day.


paul - 09/13/11 00:48
Maybe if you had man tires on a man bike instead of those tiny diet tires. J/k, but I do think the problem is that road bikes are not made for Buffalo's roads, more for like perfectly paved ones like on a track or in a distant gated community in vegas. Its seems like Buffalo's roads just keep getting worse.
tinypliny - 09/12/11 19:08
I have a morbid fear of needle-prick injuries with their shady aftermath. I think being wrung once through the whole needle-prick related HIV prophylaxis kind of stays with you for life.
tinypliny - 09/12/11 19:06
Watch out for needles and syringes. You can never be too careful.
matthew - 09/12/11 18:45
I'll be helping Paul's Aunt Judy clean up the Naval Park. It is discouraging ,but I suppose every little bit helps.

09/10/2011 14:51 #55129

The last moments
It survived the flood of 72 and a tornado with my grandparents in it. It was built in 1935. I really love the river and will always have very fond memories of this very special place.


metalpeter - 09/11/11 08:50
Oh my that was intense. Do you know the other people who at least where taking pictures of it (on the bridge)....
jessbob - 09/10/11 15:10
wow. omg. that is unbelievable. i hope you are doing okay, dave.

09/09/2011 20:35 #55126

Goodbye cottage...
This is our cottage 15 miles downstream. There is video that I haven't been able to watch yet. We all cried pretty hard. I never would have imagined this, we always thought it would be there.

image
ladycroft - 09/12/11 07:42
That's so sad!
metalpeter - 09/11/11 08:44
Hard to imagine a house moving 15 miles that is insane... Good thing no one was there... It could be rebuilt .... I kinda wonder where it will wind up when the water finally goes to where ever it goes....
tinypliny - 09/10/11 14:56
That is a really sad picture. I know it is irreplaceable but I agree with (e:dcoffee). At least no one was hurt. Maybe you could rebuild someday...
leetee - 09/10/11 06:11
So sorry!
YesThatCasey - 09/10/11 00:36
:o(
dcoffee - 09/09/11 23:13
15 miles downstream! wow. At least nobody got hurt.
mike - 09/09/11 21:52
I'm so sorry! I know how much it meant to your family and it was an awesome cottage! I am glad I got to see it and spend time there with your family this summer.
matthew - 09/09/11 21:20
What a tragedy! I'm so sorry.
paul - 09/09/11 21:14
FEMA
paul - 09/09/11 21:14
Omg I'm so sorry. Maybe you guys can get female assistance.
jessbob - 09/09/11 21:13
that's awful. i'm sorry dave.
uncutsaniflush - 09/09/11 21:13
Wow! I can only echo heidi.
heidi - 09/09/11 20:51
Oh, I'm so sorry, Dave.

09/09/2011 08:43 #55117

Waiting for the water to recede
The river crested last night and ended up breaking the 1972 record. We are all very concerned that when the water recedes that the cottage may not be there anymore. Almost the entire structure was below water at the highest point of the flood.

It is just for summer vacations and not anybodies home but it is a huge part of our family and would forever change the way we stay a family if it is gone. My great grandfather built it with 10 other families during the depression and my grandmother has gone there all her life. I was there when I was a newborn when my great grandparents were still alive and have gone most years since then. This year Mike came for the first time and we celebrated my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary there. It connects our family in a way that we could otherwise never be connected. It provides our family with an opportunity to be close for at least a brief period of time which is so important when we all live so far away from each other.

There is federal flood insurance that would cover the monetary damages but they would never let us rebuild anything similar. I agree with not being able to rebuild and it wouldn't be the same anyways. The water will not recede until Sunday and I'm sure someone will venture out through the mud to see if it is still there. I really couldn't imagine not having it around anymore but if it is gone, it is gone and at least we were fortunate to have it all these years.

Lots of people are losing their homes and have no flood insurance. Most of my relatives were hit hard in the Binghamton/Endicott region of NY. Everyone had water in their basements even though they weren't in close proximity to water. My mom's cousin was evacuated and hopefully won't lose the home she grew up in.

image
metalpeter - 09/09/11 17:09
Hoping for the best.... In other words it is still there no way to know though with out going to see it. If it is damaged and not gone fixing it up could bring the family together?
heidi - 09/09/11 09:57
I hope your cabin makes it in some useable shape. I'm glad mike got to enjoy it with you & your family too. .*hugs*

The flood damage along the tioga river hasn't been bad, everything east and south along the susquehanna has been terrible. It's such a weird slow-motion disaster.

09/07/2011 22:50 #55112

Our cottage is sure to flood
Our family cottage will without a doubt flood or is flooding as I write this. The first picture is when we had a very close call in March and the second is the projections. The first picture is about 25 feet and the projection is to just over 40 feet. Water enters the cottage at 31 feet. The worst would be if it goes even higher than projected and goes into the second floor like in 72 after Agnes.

image

image

This will be a very big mess to clean up. I'm sure I will go to help and will take some pictures. Besides flooding here most of my relatives are also enduring flooding in Endicott NY. I saw some footage today and it looked pretty bad.
metalpeter - 09/08/11 17:40
This may sound a little bit cold and I don't mean it to be.... Through time there is this constant battle with floods one needs to be near water but yet not so close that heavy rain destroys towns.... What boggles my mind is that we invented ways to bring water in for showers and so things are clean... But it seems that only things like walls and sand bags have been made and that no one has a system to get rid of water.... Granted it would be tough cause water runs down and gets low places first...
libertad - 09/08/11 07:31
I just ran into some historical data on the flood of 72 and the river crested at 43.5 ft. I didn't realize until now, but this time it will be almost as bad as 72. currently it is at 40 ft and still rising. In 72 we were fortunate that our cottage was still there, both porches were washed down the river. The water will be at about mid level or higher in the 2nd floor.