Not quite sure how long I’ve been away, past few years blur. Typing on iPad not as happy as real keyboard so we’ll see how this goes. I’ve mostly not had internet since I’ve been down here but free Starlink should last a few days longer so getting while the getting is good.
I’ve been in NC since early 21 but of course didn’t make it to a mountain home until July, not long before Helene. This is how my luck has gone the past few years. Wrong time, wrong place (this is my 5th place to stay). I will say, that’s as close to a hurricane as I ever plan to be again. It was terrifying. I come from tornado land, which tends to have less hours of wondering if your home is going to blow apart. I’m pretty lucky that my home didn’t start the roll down the hill situation,that was the guy below me. He and his wife got out at first tilt. Their “tiny home” rolled into a tree that then came down across the road onto another home whose owners were not home, and the tree made way for the rolling home to keep on going, into the side of the empty home. We were more affected by wind than water, we are quite uphill from the highway so our rain and swollen creek took the road on its way down. the excessive rain loosened the anchors on that tiny home and wind did the rest.
Upside, met all my neighbors, no injuries, just a couple serious home damages (minor here but insurance denied claim). Downside, we lost a bridge and the road down and out of neighborhood. Buckled road was fixed eventually, but our bridge isn’t going to be repaired by anyone but us (considered to be on a private road) and it’s passable, depending on what you drive. It goes over a big metal culvert so no dropping thru to water, sliding off the edge is the risk, or, stuck in the mud. My AWD sedan couldn’t hack the mud or big vehicle ruts so Carvana brought me a Jeep today and I’ll never again be trapped here (really stinks to want to leave home, but, no, it rained yesterday, I can’t leave…. Even days after rain, those feet of mud aren’t going to dry out). We desperately need gravel but the county (Mitchell) has priority on it and private citizens are unable to get any. I’m ok with “greater good” but annoyed that I needed to get a different vehicle to get to and from home, especially in rain or snow. Did what I had to do to not end up in the creek or otherwise foul my car. Many people in much worse circumstances, still, so my overall life luck remains pretty good. I think I’m glad I didn’t have electricity to see or hear the news right after Helene, it was bad enough to hear search and rescue all day every day for many many weeks. Didnt need news report to tell me what that’s about. Noticeable because we don’t get much air traffic. eventually we had some cell service (SOS only in daylight) and my sister txted things like “Asheville Gone”. It’s going to be a long while before anyone can get through a day without thinking of that storm, the reminders are everywhere. I’m just north of Bakersville, nearer to Erwin, TN than Asheville.
it’s hard to summarize the past few years so I’ll just say it has been a wacky adventure full of colorful characters and harder than anticipated, but, educational. Not sure it built character, I think I already had plenty of that. I do think I finally landed in the right place (elevation 3500’, always a breeze, beautiful view, etc). I further think this neighborhood needed me. When the storm had passed, it turned out that there aren’t many able bodied people here so they needed me, a little younger, a few less injuries and able to assist the one guy that seems to do everything here. I won’t run a chainsaw anymore but I can clear what he cut. I also got to know our mountain stream water system as of course the mountain changed and our reservoir was near empty. most of us never lost water as I worked on heading up whatever new streams were coming down and coercing them towards the collection tube. It was good to be useful and pretty interesting. Seems so long ago…
A migraine thwarted my Christmas plans but I made it here in time to wish everyone a happy new year! There is a good chance I’ll trot down the hill and enjoy some homemade moonshine NYE and be carted home via ATV. It’s good to know where the watering hole is. I don’t drink much these days but during the hard cleanup I was drinking with the neighbors here and there. I have been told by my neighbors that they would like to see me more, they like me and want to spend time with me. I think I was shocked speechless. No one has ever said anything like that to me. So, I’ll put on a festive hat, grab my jug of Crown Royal, a deck of cards, and see what happens.
Happy New Year early, in case I don’t make it back here before that or gotta find new internet situation as soon as the ball drops.
I’ve been in NC since early 21 but of course didn’t make it to a mountain home until July, not long before Helene. This is how my luck has gone the past few years. Wrong time, wrong place (this is my 5th place to stay). I will say, that’s as close to a hurricane as I ever plan to be again. It was terrifying. I come from tornado land, which tends to have less hours of wondering if your home is going to blow apart. I’m pretty lucky that my home didn’t start the roll down the hill situation,that was the guy below me. He and his wife got out at first tilt. Their “tiny home” rolled into a tree that then came down across the road onto another home whose owners were not home, and the tree made way for the rolling home to keep on going, into the side of the empty home. We were more affected by wind than water, we are quite uphill from the highway so our rain and swollen creek took the road on its way down. the excessive rain loosened the anchors on that tiny home and wind did the rest.
Upside, met all my neighbors, no injuries, just a couple serious home damages (minor here but insurance denied claim). Downside, we lost a bridge and the road down and out of neighborhood. Buckled road was fixed eventually, but our bridge isn’t going to be repaired by anyone but us (considered to be on a private road) and it’s passable, depending on what you drive. It goes over a big metal culvert so no dropping thru to water, sliding off the edge is the risk, or, stuck in the mud. My AWD sedan couldn’t hack the mud or big vehicle ruts so Carvana brought me a Jeep today and I’ll never again be trapped here (really stinks to want to leave home, but, no, it rained yesterday, I can’t leave…. Even days after rain, those feet of mud aren’t going to dry out). We desperately need gravel but the county (Mitchell) has priority on it and private citizens are unable to get any. I’m ok with “greater good” but annoyed that I needed to get a different vehicle to get to and from home, especially in rain or snow. Did what I had to do to not end up in the creek or otherwise foul my car. Many people in much worse circumstances, still, so my overall life luck remains pretty good. I think I’m glad I didn’t have electricity to see or hear the news right after Helene, it was bad enough to hear search and rescue all day every day for many many weeks. Didnt need news report to tell me what that’s about. Noticeable because we don’t get much air traffic. eventually we had some cell service (SOS only in daylight) and my sister txted things like “Asheville Gone”. It’s going to be a long while before anyone can get through a day without thinking of that storm, the reminders are everywhere. I’m just north of Bakersville, nearer to Erwin, TN than Asheville.
it’s hard to summarize the past few years so I’ll just say it has been a wacky adventure full of colorful characters and harder than anticipated, but, educational. Not sure it built character, I think I already had plenty of that. I do think I finally landed in the right place (elevation 3500’, always a breeze, beautiful view, etc). I further think this neighborhood needed me. When the storm had passed, it turned out that there aren’t many able bodied people here so they needed me, a little younger, a few less injuries and able to assist the one guy that seems to do everything here. I won’t run a chainsaw anymore but I can clear what he cut. I also got to know our mountain stream water system as of course the mountain changed and our reservoir was near empty. most of us never lost water as I worked on heading up whatever new streams were coming down and coercing them towards the collection tube. It was good to be useful and pretty interesting. Seems so long ago…
A migraine thwarted my Christmas plans but I made it here in time to wish everyone a happy new year! There is a good chance I’ll trot down the hill and enjoy some homemade moonshine NYE and be carted home via ATV. It’s good to know where the watering hole is. I don’t drink much these days but during the hard cleanup I was drinking with the neighbors here and there. I have been told by my neighbors that they would like to see me more, they like me and want to spend time with me. I think I was shocked speechless. No one has ever said anything like that to me. So, I’ll put on a festive hat, grab my jug of Crown Royal, a deck of cards, and see what happens.
Happy New Year early, in case I don’t make it back here before that or gotta find new internet situation as soon as the ball drops.
. 
