Flood in Bridgeton
Posted By The Miller on June 24, 2010
This is the biggest flood we have had since the dam was finished. Lots of logs caught on the dam. The undertow is cool and scary. Logs fall over the waterfall and get caught by the undertow where the water hits the bottom. They spin and spin and sometimes flip end over end. Eventually they get away from the dam. Some of the logs actually get broken into smaller pieces before escaping. The reservoir is way over summer pool and as soon as the Wabash River gets back to normal they will start dumping it. I’m afraid it will be sometime before I can clear the dam.
The grand kids and I like to participate in the parade at the Rosedale Strawberry Festival (Small town down the creek). I drive the truck and they throw candy. There was a lot of empty wrappers in the truck??????
Took this photo today. I can’t stop looking at the waterfall and the mill pond. Fifteen years of dreaming and it has come true. What a wonderful country.
I’m sure the dam will hold ….. but, you never know. All went well and a few trees went over the dam. Two got stuck on my deflector log. I plan to improve the deflector log. More and more of the tail race is washing out. All is good.
The old furrows (Grooves from center to outer edge) were getting too wide due to years of dressing (Sharpening). So, I had to remove about 1/4 in. from the face of each stone. Then, cut new furrows. I used diamond blades and it took 3 weeks (It is fresh water quartz - harder than glass).
Rob Jones sponsored his 2nd annual wood carving camp in Bridgeton. This is a special computerized (CNC) machine and they all learn and share info. Here they are eating at the Bridgeton Mill Snack Shop.
Leo from the Country Store in Bridgeton has volunteered to do the landscaping around the covered bridge. The association only pays the wholesale cost for the flowers and other ……. stuff. Here he is watering. He has to go down to the creek and fill the sprinkling cans. The place looks like a state park thanks to Leo.
I have tried to get Purple Corn several times in the past. Finally, I found a supplier that handled it. It is so dark it looks like coffee beans. Why is corn different colors? The more vitamins in a grain the darker and more colorful it becomes. This is the richest tasting cornmeal I have ever had. Wonderful! ! The first order - 150lbs sold pretty fast at the Winter Farmer’s Market in Indy. So, I have ordered more for the Maple Syrup Fest. Hopefully, I can get it ground, mixed and bagged before Sat. And, it is sitting on the living room floor right now ….. so I need to get it moved to the mill. I’m lucky to have an understanding wife that puts up with me.
Time to dig out the Ole Mill Truck. Maple Syrup Fest. is coming. Feb. 27 - 28 and March 6 - 7. I like to deliver the mill products to the festival with the mill truck. Ethan (age 10 - grandson) is sick and spending the day with me at home. Hopefully, tomorrow he will be better and I can head out to the mill and get prepared for the festival. The mill might not be OPEN for the Fest. I will be in Rockville at the Pancake Breakfast. If Nate (Youngest son - 29) isn’t working he will OPEN up the mill. We usually do very well here cause a lot of folks are running out of our products.
When I first built the big gate … I bought a 2 ton hoist to operate it. The gate only weighs around 550 #s. However, when the head race is full of water there is a lot of hydraulic pressure on the gate. So, I used the big hoist and an old metal axle I found in the mill. I built the frame with 2 X 8 in. oak and drilled holes for the iron bar to slide into. As you can see in the photo the iron bar (solid) bent. It also cracked the oak frame slightly. Jay Scrivhor designed and built the new piece in the photo. When it warmes up I will install it. It should support the oak and not bend like the metal bar did.