I Love New York Travel

Oopsie. We accidentally left a few containers of used engine oil in the basement. When it flooded, water spilled into the containers and the oil went everywhere.

This is no easy tretinoin gel. This is MOTOR OIL. Toxic waste. We had to have the DEC come over, because we couldn’t pump this water out into the stormwater drainage basin. Thank God, the spill was contained. We used these special absorbent pads that absorb only oil, not water. They are pretty neat things. We have about 15 big garbage bags full of used ones, now!

*sigh* Today it’s raining again, and we’ve got more flash flood warnings. Well, the basement is cleaned out so if it floods, there’s nothing to destroy except our brand new water heater.

Upstate New York has been struggling to stay afloat. Yes, in the financial realm, but also in the literal realm! That photo was my yard on April 28. We have suffered from flooding so many times now, I cannot count. I’m amazed that this area is not considered a flood zone. Every time we get 2 inches of rain (which has been happening like A LOT for a few years), we flood. My yard seems to get the brunt of it. We lost all the contents of our basement this time, except the furnace (which we elevated because we lost our new furnace the LAST time this happened).

To think about it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Thank God, we are getting some insurance money to pay for the damages. But it’s a lot of work, cleaning up this mess. I’ve got so much experience with flood cleanup that I could probably get some kind of personal trainer certification for it. Whew. I just wish it would STOP raining.

Here’s my first post about the interesting ice formations on the rims of Seneca Lake, on the banks of Geneva, NY. This photo shows a wider view of the ice. Isn’t the blue color of the lake simply amazing?!

Seneca Lake does not freeze over, but the edges do. There were yards and yards of shattered ice, all melting under the unseasonably warm February temperatures.

Geneva is a quiet little city. Rather cosmopolitan. It was once a very affluent location, a common tourist stop along the vineyard trails between Niagara Falls and Rochester. It’s now filled with old hippies and old yuppies (remember them?) more concerned with social security disability insurance, lol.

Of course, I’m exaggerating. I’m SURE there were younger people there. I just didn’t see too many. Except me, of course.

Photo taken in mid February.

Seneca Lake doesn’t freeze over, but the water rimming the beaches does. When we visited Seneca Lake in February, the temperatures climbed up into the 50′s for several days, and it was GORGEOUS. The ice had broken up into large chunks that glistened in the bright winter sun.

While we were there, I was hoping to hear the Seneca Drums. I didn’t hear them. I know the phenomenon is very rare, but it would have been SO COOL to blog about hearing them! I have no idea when the last time they were heard. You’d think that somebody, a real history buff or eccentric, would install marine speakers to pick up and broadcast the sound, lol. In case you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about, see my verrrry informative post about Seneca Drums. I believe!

This is what early November looks like in Upstate New York: scrubby weeds, pathetic-looking trees, muddy streams, and the ubiquitous gray sky. The flora looks so scrawny and pitiful it looks like it needs a major boost of vitamin c serum or something.

But it’s the gloominess of the month that makes November one of the worst months of the year. February is much the same, too. The season is old, everything is muddy, brown and gray, scrubby, and plain old ugly. The only good thing about November is Thanksgiving. It’s a great holiday.

Still, there is much visual interest in such November scenes. I suppose if everything was ALWAYS fresh and green and plump and beautiful, we’d tire of that, wouldn’t we?

Hm. Maybe not.

The end of November has actually been rather nice, now. The weather has been warmer than usual. Everything is still brown, but we have had some sunshine! That’s a wonderful surprise. The weather dudes are forecasting snow later this week. Not much, but enough to remind us that those of us who are not yet prepared for winter (*cough cough*) had better get moving….