One of the certainties of living in these hills is that eventually the rivers will flood. The only variables are how bad it will be and will there be any advance notice. There are different kinds of flooding that haunt our area: The flash flood from a gully-washer thunderstorm or the slower rise of the river from melting snow sometimes combined with Spring rains.

Since I have lived here, the area has lost five of our neighbors to the rising waters. In June of 2006, major flooding hit the area from a series of thunder and rainstorms. Our nearest city, Livingston Manor, was under eight feet of water in places and small town after small town saw houses destroyed or badly damaged. The deluge brought out the best in the people of the Catskills and they all pitched in to rebuild and get down to business again. Each time the local folks loudly proclaim they don't know if they can go through one more flood but invariably the beauty and the people of this place keep them here.

This week, once again, we are on river-watch.

Two weeks ago, we had a bombardment of three snowstorms with about 18 inches of snow ending on the ground here in Turkey Hollow. For the first time this season, our snow blowers got a real workout and we all posed for pictures next to plowed embankments higher than our cars. Finally, a week of real winter weather with no sleet, no freezing rain; just picture-postcard pretty vistas in our woods, hills and meadows. But unfortunately, those idyllic scenes didn't last long. The first rainstorm moved in at the beginning of this week and with the heavy snow pack melting, instantly all eyes went to the rivers. While all of them rose, most behaved themselves and stayed within their banks. Only about six houses had to have water pumped out.

With a collective sigh of relief and lots of chatter among neighbors, we felt we had just missed another pending river rage.

But Mother Nature and the weather bureau refuse to give us a break. Last night we had a steady rainstorm, causing the remaining snow pack to melt rapidly. Just as we were reaching a crucial point, the rains blessedly stopped -- but the rivers continued to rise. Then we woke up this morning to a forecast of extremely heavy rains and winds up to 40 mph. To add insult to injury, the prognostication includes some blowing snow at the end of the storm. This is the time neighbors begin calling each other, saying, "let me know if you need my help" as the slowly rising rivers turn into raging waters. We wait and watch as we prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Part of the power of living in these hills is to be reminded time and time again that we are just guests of nature here. The surrounding idyllic beauty can turn vicious at the drop of a hat. And now it is the raging river - a fearful wonder to behold - that is in total control, as the awesome current threatens all that is in its path. It is proving, once again, to be the boss of this hollow and there is no questioning that.

And it isn't only the human denizens affected by this weather-inspired tumult. The abundant wildlife is impacted as well. In this photograph taken by Steven Guy, Baby - our newest star deer produced by Attila and Kate - told us what he felt about all this changing weather. Enjoy.