Water

There is so much of it.  Coming from thirsty California, it’s so noticeable, but I suppose that in time I’ll stop seeing it as anything noteworthy.  At every turn there is a bog, a marsh, a pond, a lake, a spring, a stream, a creek, a river. With a couple of warm days Tuesday and Wednesday, snow was melting everywhere.  Every roadside ditch was full of runoff, and there were puddles everywhere. There are springs in our driveway, and Dan has carved little ditches to divert the water off to the side so that it doesn’t erode the driveway.

I spent a little time with a map, looking at where creeks originate and where they go.  Otego Creek, which we cross in Hartwick, flows south along Route 205 towards Oneonta where it flows into the Susquehanna. Oak Creek originates in Canandoga Lake which is, confusingly, next to the town of Schuyler Lake – and there doesn’t seem to be a lake called Schuyler.  We cross Oak Creek in the tiny town of Index just after we turn onto 28 heading for Cooperstown.  From where we cross it, it’s just a short distance to where it joins the Susquehanna.  All the streams are full and brown and swift now, and the Susquehanna is high against its banks.

Those two warm days were amazing – a little taste of what’s to come.  I sat outside with tea before sunrise.  The air was warm – nearly 60 – and everything smelled moist and fresh.  Charlie had a field day – literally – spending most of those two days out exploring his field.  So much to sniff and paw at. The three crows that have been our companions since we arrived were joined by a cloud of starlings, landing in tight formation in Zen’s pasture to explore his leavings.  At some signal they all rise and fly off together to light in a couple of trees on our southern boundary. I know there will be more birds soon, but we haven’t seen them yet on our hill.

We won’t see them today.  The snow is falling so densely we wouldn’t see them even if they were at the bottom of the driveway, where the trees at Gulf Road are barely visible.  We were not fooled by the two warm days, but they were a welcome break.  What a joy to have doors and windows open, to go out without hat or coat, to see what’s been lying under the snow, to feel completely warm. All the lakes and ponds had puddles of melted water above the ice, but it has all refrozen now. A season of back and forth.

Last night we drove to Oneonta with Dan and Mary and Jasmine and bought a wood pellet stove.  Our heater devours propane at a great rate and destroys the quiet.  And you can’t sit next to it and enjoy the extra warmth and the sight of the fire. We’ll have it installed in a couple of weeks, and will use the old heater just as backup, if at all.  We celebrated our purchase with dinner at Brooks Barbecue, now under its third generation of family ownership. Delicious.