I got the snow I was wishing for!
Last week I heard folks at work teasing about snow coming in at the end of the week, but I really didn’t believe it would snow and I was so preoccupied with getting ready for the annual Pressley Christmas Party that was going to happen over the weekend that I didn’t think much about it.
Early Friday morning, a little after 5:00 a.m., my phone started going crazy. I’m part of the alert team at work and as soon as I heard the phone I told The Deer Hunter “It must have snowed.”
After I completed my necessary duties for work I settled in to watch it snow while I drank my daily cup of Postum. It was just beautiful!
Thinking the snow would soon peter out and that I still had a ton of things to do before we left for Canton I got to work cleaning house. I was elated at not having to go in to work. I felt like I’d been given four extra hours of life (I usually work a half day on Fridays).
First I packed up every thing we needed to take for the Christmas festivities at Aunt Wanda’s and then I started vacuuming and cleaning. Every so often I’d notice the power flicker but I kept getting at it hoping to finish my house work.
I finished up about 11:30 and was just about to fix myself something for dinner when I looked out the window. I could not believe how much snow had accumulated! I hurried and caught some water in what I had handy in case the power decided to go off for good.
As I stood and worried about Chatter and The Deer Hunter getting home from work I saw a truck come up the driveway. Chitter said “Who in the world is that?” I said “I think its Chatter.” And it was. A nice man at work drove her home. I can’t believe he attempted our driveway, but he made it fine.
Chitter ran outside to see her sister and about that time the lights went out.
The Deer Hunter was home directly. I already had a fire built in the wood stove so we set in to enjoying being snowed in together. Aunt Wanda decided she better cancel the big Christmas party since Haywood County was getting the same snow we were so there was nowhere any of us had to be.
Granny’s phone doesn’t work if the power is off and while we were toasty warm I knew she wouldn’t have any heat without the electricity. I was just about to head down there when I got word that Steve, my older brother, had taken her home with him.
The Deer Hunter and I went outside to check things out. The snow was so pretty! I stood staring up in the sky at it until I made myself dizzy. We fed the chickens and The Deer Hunter de-snowed the greenhouse. We wondered around a while and then headed back inside to warm by the fire.
The snow was the perfect kind for coating every available surface no matter how small or delicate and as you can see from the photos I felt like I had to capture every example with my camera.
Once we were inside I quickly realized I had dropped my phone somewhere along our trek so we headed back out to find it. Luckily it didn’t take us long.
The power stayed off the rest of the night and most of the next day. Although I love snow more than anything, I do feel for the folks that have to be out in it. There were almost 700 outages in the Blue Ridge EMC service area and that equals about 18,000 people without power. I so appreciate all the hardworking EMC folks who worked to get it all back up and running.
The next morning I was anxious to find out how Granny had made it but everyone’s phones were dead and I couldn’t get anyone to answer me. I finally took off down the hill to see if I could find them. I ran into Paul along the way and he said Granny was still at Steve’s.
Granny’s house looked like a Christmas cottage tucked into a winter wonderland.
We walked the rest of the way together and as Paul went in I told him to tell Granny to look out the window and I’d wave at her. I think he thought I was crazy, but I knew she’d want to see me and I sure wanted to see her.
I tromped around Steve’s yard and headed to the creek to take pictures of the snow. Just as I started up the hill for home I thought I might ought to look at a picture or two.
Wouldn’t you know I took all those pictures without a memory card in my camera. I almost wanted to cry. Instead I hiked back home, got my card, and did it all over again. Steve’s dog Griffin didn’t like me coming around the first time. He really didn’t like it when I came tromping back. He is the sweetest cutest dog you ever seen except he won’t let me get within 10 foot or he’ll run. All I have to do is say hello and he skedaddles.
When the water supply I gathered had been depleted The Deer Hunter and Chitter hiked to the creek for water. We boiled some for drinking and cooking and used the rest to flush the potties. I made a tasty pot of chili on the coleman stove and we had a dandy breakfast cooked on it too. The girls said they were sort of sad when the power came back on. I think they enjoyed focusing on taking care of things in a more hands on manner than we usually do.
When The Deer Hunter came in from work on Friday he left his truck at the bottom of the drive. He’s been chauffeuring us to where we need to go so we’ve all been hiking in and out. But even with the extra trouble I’m still glad I got a big snow! The average total for my area was between 6-10 inches. We had ten. It was the prettiest snow I’ve seen since the white Christmas in 2010 and since we live on the north side of the mountain I’ll have a snowy view for at least the rest of the week.
Tipper
Beautiful photos Tipper. I grew up in Wyoming & always loved the snow. Here in Oregon we don’t get it often & usually it’s not very cold… but usually for every week of really hot weather in the summer we have really cold weather in the winter & so far that’s been the case, over 2 weeks of 20s & 30s at night and sometimes during the day. Hope it doesn’t stay that way as we had an unusual, miserably hot summer. No precipitation lately so thankfully no freezing rain. However, I’d like one snow but don’t dare say it out loud or the people I work with will threaten to lynch me. LOL We have all electric heat here, so not thrilled when the power goes out for extended periods of time. Hopefully next year we’ll have enough money put aside to put in a wood stove. Fingers crossed. My husband wanted to go with a pellet stove because it’s less work, but like I told him… no good in a power outage, as all the ones we’ve seen had electric starters and/or fans so they didn’t really work unless you had electricity. It’s warmer and sunny today, actually up to nearly 60 and the cats are curled up in the sun in front of their window. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!! I’m trying to get the bed in my studio emptied so I can put clean flannel sheets and an extra blanket on it. (it’s been my place to put stuff while I’m trying to sort, declutter & organize this week while I’m off on vacation) My middle granddaughter gets her tonsils out today & since she’s in her teens, has to take it easy for a couple of weeks, so she will be staying with us next week. Blessings always, Theresa
Up here in Michigan, we only got a dusting when y’all got your big snow. Since then, though, we’ve gotten about 4 inches and we’re fixin to get dumped on this afternoon and evening. Thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos. Sure makes a gal homesick for the mountains.
Beautiful pictures, beautiful snow and what a happy-filled report. Snow looks better in your mountains than of the flat prairies of Northern Indiana. What a good story to share and I’m happy you got your snow.
Wonderful pictures and I see you know how to enjoy the snow. People in the south do know how to enjoy it! I live in southeastern PA now and everyone just goes on to work or whatever . . . since we do have quite a bit every winter. But I like to just sit and watch it fall with steaming cup of hot chocolate. I still believe snow is a gift to be savored!
Thank you so much for posting all those pictures of your snowfall! We have not yet had snow here in Northwest Arkansas. Nights are getting cool, in mid-30’s, but some days it still gets up to 60 or 65. Thank you for your blog.
Beautiful snowy pictures! Thank you, Tipper.
These are such beautiful photos! I’m so glad all is well and cozy!
You’re Welcome!
we had about 8 inches here in northern Dawson Co here in north ga
Soo glad we were left out. Folks around Birmingham got around 10in. and points southwest. Glad for ya becuse it means so much to you, maybe in 7 yrs I can fill the same way.
Tipper–Perfect snow cream snow. Did you folks make any?\
Jim Casada
I would love all that snow, too! My parents in the mountains got about 8 inches…the wind has blown it into drifts everywhere. Even here in Raleigh I got to see some big goose feather flakes for a few of hours. Melted as it hit the ground… Maybe Wintertime will bring some more snow!
Looking at your snow photos Tipper, I only have one thing to say: “Happy I live Hawaii!”
Yes it was beautiful and unpredicted by the weather forecasters! However me and one of my cousins were talking that it just felt like a good snow in the air! The clouds were heavy and you can just feel it! Isn’t there an old Wives Tale about if the snow lays on the ground for 3 days, there’s another one coming right behind! Would love it if you remembered that one and could tell me the number of days later. It would be interesting if it did. My Daddy used to predict the first frost by the first time he heard the Katydids. This amazed my husband and when he would hear them he would run to me and tell 90 days to first frost. Amazing how the Appalachian folks know how to make these predictions taught by our ancestors. I hope we keep passing them along to our kids and grandkids so it doesn’t get lost! Thanks for all you do to preserve that! I love reading your letters everyday!
I am happy you got your snow Tipper. It is beautiful and so much more enjoyable knowing all your family is safe and warm
Your photos are lovely.
We had snow too but I imagine you would laugh at my calling the glimmery, powdery, white dust we had “snow” – as soon as the sun touched it, it disappeared.
Now, if we could just get more of the wet stuff. . . .
The best part of your snow story is the paragraph under the picture of “de-snowing” the greenhouse!
I’m guessing you meant to type wandered–but your ‘sub” typed wondered around! Much better!!
We had about 3 inches in Richmond, Virginia. It didn’t coat the roads, but there were icy spots. Since it was heavy and stuck to the trees and power lines, some people lost power, but we didn’t. It was so pretty and most of it melted yesterday.
Happy Snow Day!! Tipper, the pictures are wonderful. We had a beautiful snow here , also, over the mountains from you. Here’s a poem I wrote one time, borrowing Robert Frost’s style and rhythm from “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening”. I still love playing in the snow with the grandkids.
A Snow Has Fallen, Fallen Deep
By David Templeton
Whose face is this?
I think I know
He looks a whole lot older though
I wish I didn’t see him there
His once dark hair now turned to snow
The looking glass will not be kind
And show the lad I am in mind
Now wrinkled brow and chin to spare
Replace the youth I’ve left behind
I give my head a hopeful shake
And think that I will soon awake
I blink my eyes but he’s still there
A fat old man; no handsome rake
A snow has fallen, fallen deep
But now is not a time to weep
My kids and theirs are sledding near
And I can play before I sleep.
David Templeton
Oh, Tipper, this makes me happy, too! So beautiful! Thank you for taking the pictures twice — I thought that I was the only one who had ever taken pictures without a camera card! 🙂
I heard about the snow on the news, but had no idea you got that much. It sure is pretty!
You make me smile because, while you write about the coping with no power, the delight in the snow and its beauty, home and family comes across as the real message. The other is just minor inconvenience (in the short term anyeay). That’s a big part of the spirit of Christmas right there.
I get the sense from your pictures that, like me, you are always trying to capture the beauty in the little things as well as the big picture. And perhaps like me you never feel you have quite succeeded. An example is the snow on the rhododendron(?) and the tracks curving off into the woods. I have so many pictures of roads and trails leading out of sight. That idea of discovery around the bend or over the hill was always what I liked best about working in the woods.
I was out in the snow taking pictures also. Couldn’t get landscapes because it was too socked in. But I did get one picture I like of snow on the deep red petals and golden stamens of the Yuletide camelia.
Coming from Pennsylvania we were used to feet of snow instead of inches.
We always had lots of wood stacked on the porch for the fireplaces and wood stove. Lots of work cutting, hauling, stacking and cleaning out ashes afterward.
When we moved here we decided to make life a bit easier so we opted for gas logs, gas stove and a generator. Now we have heat, can cook , have water and I feel so pampered. All I had to do was sit by the window and enjoy the beautiful scene outside.
How life changes but at my age I am glad for an easier way and I can walk outside without having to do anything but enjoy. Life is good and I am so blessed.
Your pictures are beautiful, Tip. This was a lovely and very quick snow. My power went out for about five hours and I managed to stay warm. I was really surprised when it came back on. I thought with the deep snow I’d be stuck here with no power till it melted, thankfully that was not the case.
You really took a lot of lovely pictures, it’s easy to see that you really love snow!
One of the things I love about the snow is how quiet it gets, it’s like the world is padded and time may stop.