LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Hope It Misses Us


We always knew we wanted to retire in the NC mountains.  Every year we came down to look at land and every year we found the prices increasing.  So we bought some land in Haywood County several years before we planned to retire.  As we visited the area more often, it dawned on us that our land was above 4500 feet in elevation.  And in the NC mountains, elevation at that level mean more frequent and heavier snows.  Having spent 20 years in WI, we were ready to leave the snow behind.  So we sold the land in Haywood County and built in Transylvania County at an elevation of 3200 feet.  A place that would get some snow, but not often and not heavy.

Earlier this week we had the kind of snow that is typical for us.  We awoke to see a dusting of snow with a bit more to come.

The sun was not up yet.




 Same area by one o'clock that afternoon

 Now that's my kind of snow.  But several times a year, more in some years than others, we get deeper snows.  The deepest snowfall in the town of Brevard was 17 inches.  Since our community is a thousand feet higher in elevation than Brevard, the deepest snow was likely much deeper.  But in the scheme of things (think states in the Rocky Mountains or the Mid-west) that's not a lot of snow.

One year we had a surprise snowstorm in mid-March.  I had a friend visiting from WI.  Her flight home was delayed two days by snow here in NC, not in WI.  No sitting on the deck as we had planned.  But we did enjoy watching the birds in the snow.


The little goldfinch sat atop several inches of snow on the rail.

We are under a winter storm advisory with predictions for snow this afternoon and for the next few days.  If the predicted pattern continues we will be under a winter storm warning later this evening.  In WI, a prediction of five inches of snow means very little.  Happens all the time and in fact, is considered a small snowstorm.  But here in Brevard, five inches of snow will bring things to a halt.  And especially in our community with our streets winding uphill or downhill and heavily shaded, a five-inch snowstorm means we won't leave the community for a while.




Our pantry and freezer are well stocked.  We have plenty of propane for the generator and fireplaces.  We have good books to read and wine to drink.  Maybe a bit more snow might not be so bad after all.  But it would be nice to see the temperatures rise a bit.


 Lucy is oblivious to the weather as long as she has her pillows.
Yes, she has a new one.

Hope your Wednesday is a good one, whatever your weather.


9 comments:

Linda said...

We moved from Texas to Oregon 12 years ago. The many years we lived in Texas we saw little snow but the last three years their snowfall has greatly increased. We love Oregon's weather. Mild temperatures year round with very little snow. Compared to Texas the summers are wonderful. After years of Texas heat & drought we welcome the rain. Hope your snowfall is light.

The Bug said...

We had a couple of inches of snow this morning - just in time for Mike's commute to school. I elected to work from home :) (although I did have some errands to run around lunchtime & drove VERY SLOWLY).

KB said...

I hope it does warm up for you but it sounds as you're completely prepared for more snow tonight. It can be cozy in the house with a fire going while a storm is dropping snow outside - I like that feeling. I'm glad Lucy has a new pillow to help her through the snowstorm :)

Ms. A said...

Sounds like you are prepared to hunker down. Good luck and stay warm!

Nance said...

As we say in NEO--"Been there, done that!" Here's hoping it's all just a Bad Forecast.

Anonymous said...

Hope this big storm passes you right by. A little dusting would be okay, if it all melts by noon! Take care there and keep us posted.

Arkansas Patti said...

Well you have all the necessities and Lucy certainly seems comfortable. So far we have only had one inch but Friday should be a bigger one. What we have had is ice which will keep me off the roads as quickly as snow here in the hills.
Stay warm, safe and enjoy the pretty.

Lowcarb team member said...

Well you have plentiful stocks in, and dear Lucy looks so comfortable ... so I hope all goes well. Keep warm!

All the best Jan

Busy Bee Suz said...

I have a feeling that you've not dodged this one? Well, from what I've heard on the radio....
I do hope you're all comfortable and can actually enjoy a few days of being IN. Plus---wine!
Stay warm!
Suz