The storm moved in. So far, we have survived really well. After Helene we refined our preparedness to the point where we have a pretty good system of having flashlights, flameless candles, emergency radios, etc. all in one place. We have cast iron and a coffee pot to use on the gas grill. We have really good coolers that keep food cold for days. We have a bunch of frozen ice packs and a back up on the big freezer. We have a pretty good plan in case of no power. We have a gas fireplace with plenty of propane to run it.

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So the power flickered on and off several times on Sunday morning and we held our breath. And then around noon it went off and we kicked into no power mode. The sleet and freezing rain had apparently caught up and the tree limbs were coming down and power lines coming into Connestee Falls were icing up. Ah well. Honestly – I love being home and the inconvenience of not having power is irritating but not life threatening for us since we can have some heat and we had plenty of food we could eat.

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I think we have gotten away with not much damage from the storm so far. We did lose power for 4 hours but thankfully it came back on and we had very little inconvenience. Unlike many others.

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Good thing Chris had all the trees trimmed that are close to the house this past year. We don’t get storms like this often but when we do, they can get nasty. Our driveway is pretty much a sheet of ice and with the warming up during the day and refreezing at night it may be a few days till we get out but I am perfectly fine with that. I have some closet cleaning and organizing on the agenda.

.Another beautiful morning sunrise. Life is great in the mountains. Hope you are all well and safe and warm.

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