October 2003 Archived Columns
10/28/2003
FALL LEAF UPDATE!I'm writing this update on All Saints/Halloween eve. At first, the weather was cooler this week, and we had some rain. But the past couple of days have been simply beautiful, with temperatures in the seventies on the porch. There is still some color in the woods, but I think it is fair to say that it’s fading. I was up in Tennessee around Tellico Plains on Thursday, and the color is maybe a little better up there. No doubt, we've seen better years for leaf color. But it's still really beautiful. If you haven’t been up, it might be good to come up this weekend. I think most of the color will be gone, along with the leaves, before too long.
EITHER-SEX DEER DAY WARNING!
Saturday, November 1, is an either-sex deer hunting day in Fannin County. It is the only either-sex day in Fannin this year, and the first in a long time, if my memory serves. It is a safe bet that many hunters will be in the woods, including many kids who are eager to bag their first deer. It would be an excellent day to stay out of the woods. If you do want to go, I think the Cohutta and Cooper’s Creek Wildlife Management Areas are free of deer hunts this Saturday. To check WMA hunting days, follow the Georgia DNR link on my “For Your Safety” discussion under the “Activities” link on this site until you get to the listings of dates for specific WMAs (management areas have different hunting seasons).
LET’S TALK ABOUT WINTERIZING!
Our temperatures are still well above freezing, but if you are going to close up your cabin for a few weeks, it might be a good idea to think about winterizing.
First, locate your water box, called the “curb box” in the city. This is the place where you turn off the water. If it is the usual box in the ground, it is a good idea to insulate the box above the pipes and shutoff valves. The reason is that if the valve freezes while it is in the “off” position, it will break the valve, and you won’t be able to turn off the water to the house. In a pinch, a thick pack of newspapers wrapped in plastic will do, but the best idea is to get some foam (the kind people use for mattresses) and cut it to fit and fill the box. This won’t get soggy with rain, and will provide protection against freezing. Remember not to insulate below the pipe (it’s the ground that’s warm).
Leaving the heat on and hoping for the best:
Next, you have to decide whether to leave the heat on at the lowest setting in the hopes that the power won’t go off long enough to allow the pipes to freeze, or go all the way and drain the system.
If you are going to rely on the heat, you should at least turn the water off at the water box. Crack the drain value for a second or two to take the pressure off the system. That way, if your pipes do freeze, at least your house won’t fill with water while you’re gone.
It's a good idea to leave the cabinets open under any sink that is close to an outside wall, so the warm air can reach the pipes.
Going all the way and draining the system:
If you decide to go all the way, here’s what you do. First, be sure to turn off the breakers to your electric hot water heater. If you don’t, and you drain the water from the heater, the heating elements will immediately self-destruct. Second, turn off the water at the water box. Third, open up every sink and shower tap and every outside spigot. That will ensure that you don’t have an air lock anywhere in the pipes that would trap water. Flush the toilets. Fourth, attach a hose to the bottom tap of your hot water heater, and let it drain. Place about two cups of antifreeze in the toilets, a cup in the toilet tank (assuming you’ve flushed and there is only an inch or so of water there), and a cup in the sink and shower drains.
Remember that antifreeze is fatal to dogs. They drink it because it smells sweet to them, and it doesn’t take a lot to make them very sick. You can buy antifreeze that is supposed to be safer for them, but it costs about twice as much. If you’re using the regular stuff, be sure to close the lid and keep the dog away from it until you can flush the toilet on returning.
It's best to leave the taps open until you return.
On returning:
Remember to keep the dogs away from the toilet until you can flush.
Remember to close up the taps and spigots again when you return. It’s best to leave them open while you’re gone, but not a good idea to forget to close them before turning the water on. A favorite trick of my own father was to forget to close the tap at the bottom of the hot water heater before turning the water back on, resulting in a mess in the crawl space.
Remember to allow time to let the water heater fill with water before cutting on the fuses. Make sure you are getting a flow through the hot water tap before turning the fuses back on.
Other precautions:
If you spray about 3 feet of the foundation and 6 feet of the dirt around the foundation with Diazinon, you can significantly reduce the number of creepy-crawly critters that get inside the house. They like to come in during the winter, because it’s warmer in there, even when the heat is off.
It’s a good idea to insulate the water pipe where it comes into the basement or crawl space, if it is close to an exterior wall. You can get crack-and-peel pipe insulation with glue already in place at the hardware store.
If your basement or crawl space vents open and close, it is a good idea to close the one closest to the place your water comes in from the yard.
When it gets really cold (fifteen or below), you can always run just a trickle of water at night to ensure that the pipes don’t freeze.
10/24/2003
FALL LEAF UPDATE!We’ve had a string of absolutely beautiful fall days lately, but there’s no doubt the leaves are falling. It’s no secret that this year isn’t as colorful as some other years, but there is still a good bit of color in the woods. I’d recommend coming this weekend if you haven’t been up, because I think most of the leaves will be off in another week.
The color seems a little better out toward the Cohuttas, so I’d recommend taking a drive out Old Hwy 2. From our office (and the Blue Ridge McDonald’s), go north on Hwy 5 until you hit the first passing lane, up a long hill. Get in the left-hand lane, and turn left on Old 2 just at the top of the hill. You can turn left on Cashes Valley and explore out there, or go all the way past the end of the pavement to Watson Gap. At that point, you can turn either left or right, and ride around the rim of the Cohuttas. If you turn left, you’ll eventually end up near Ellijay, unless you continue to follow the signs to Lake Conasauga, which is over in the vicinity of Chatsworth. If you ride around the rim to the right, you’ll eventually come to the Sylco Campground, which is not too far from Hwy 64/74. At that point, you can ride back along the Ocoee River to Ducktown. Then you can make your way down to Copperhill and Hwy 5 again. You may have to ask directions to find you way back to civilization back there, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the ride.
This is the time for fall festivals. Be sure to check out the Blue Ridge Harvest Festival, at the old farmer’s market near the drive-in theater on the old highway. And check the other doings on my calendar listings on the “Local Info” button.
10/16/2003
FALL LEAF UPDATE!Today (Thursday) is a banner day in the mountains. It started off at about 38º, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. There’s actually more color in the woods than appears on the webcam, and the sunsets have been beautiful with the light on the leaves. The colors are still mostly yellows and deep reds, and there has definitely been more color each day. It’s a very difficult year to predict what will happen with the leaves. Some of the old timers are predicting that we won’t have much of a peak color event, because it was too wet following a long dry spell. And it does seem that many leaves are falling from the trees without turning color. I think there’s a good chance that this weekend will show the most color, although it is also possible that there is yet more to come.
This is the time for fall festivals and mountain fun. Check my calendar listings under the "Local Information" button!
There have been more developments in the case of the person who is trying to block the river. From my information, I believe this is between Deep Hole and Dial. Apparently, he has placed cables across the river, along with various threats and promises. If you’re planning to run that section of the river, it might be well to be prepared for confrontation, especially on the weekends. If my information is correct, the river is still unobstructed from Dial to the Sandy Bottoms takeout point that the Forest Service just built and dedicated.
As I reported last week, the lake level is extremely low. Fishing is probably good, because the fish must be incredibly concentrated, but the scenery leaves a little to be desired. The best boat launch to use is probably the public one at the marina, although I’ve seen people continue to use the one at Morganton, which is now a long way from the water.
10/9/2003
FALL LEAF UPDATE!People have been asking me what the leaf situation is this week. There is some color in the woods, mostly yellows and deep reds. There seems to be more color every day, but it's difficult to tell when - or if - the leaves are going to peak this year. There are a lot of leaves falling to the ground brown or black, and the dogwoods don't seem very spectacular this year. It's possible that this weekend will show the best colors, or that they are yet to come next weekend, or even the weekend after.
This is the time for fall festivals and mountain fun. Check my calendar listings under the "Local Information" button!
The lake level is very low, and with the fish concentrated, I suspect the lake fishing is very good, even if it could be more beautiful. As I explain in previous newsletters, the TVA is in the middle of a deep drawdown to inspect the penstock, the pipe that carries water to the turbines.
10/3/2003
We’ve been having beautiful fall weather, but there’s no doubt it’s been cooler. I’ve been seeing 38º on the porch in the morning, and some folks in the county have had frost already. The leaves haven’t really started to turn yet, but with the cool weather, it probably won’t be long.In terms of what’s happening in the woods, bow season is in. The bow hunters generally wear camouflage, paint their faces, and hunt from tree stands. I don’t worry as much about them as I do the gun hunters, because they generally have more woodcraft and their range is so short that they can generally readily identify their game. It can be startling to suddenly see them in a tree, and people should remember that if there is a pickup truck parked at the edge of the woods, there may be someone hunting nearby. The studies have shown that most hunters never go more than a half mile from their vehicle, so chances of encountering a hunter decrease markedly the further you go back in.
Primitive weapons season (black powder rifles) runs from October 11-17, and firearms season comes in on October 18. November 1 is an either sex day in Fannin, and it will be an excellent day to stay out of the woods. If you are unfamiliar with these rituals, please read my little essay on safety under the “Activities” button. There’s no reason to be unduly concerned, but it is a good idea to wear an orange hat in the woods, and to avoid the wilderness and wildlife management areas – like the Cohutta Wilderness – during the few days every year that they are open to big game hunts. The links and instructions on the page mentioned above will tell you how.
The annual river cleanup was generally a success, although it was impossible for people to do much below the dam, because the TVA could not be prevailed upon to turn off the water long enough for anyone to actually get in the river.
This is the time of fall festivals and mountain fun! Check my calendar listings for what’s happening, and don’t forget to get off the porch and enjoy some of what the mountain have to offer!
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