Christmas 2010

It's definitely not a traditional Christmas.

We picked Dad up and drove up to the Mountain House Saturday, December 18.  Tuesday, we received a call that Dad's sister, Idalene, had passed away peacefully in her sleep the night before.  Thankfully, we had stopped by and seen her on the way up here.  She had had a stroke a few days earlier and didn't look good.

We started to make plans to leave the Mountain House and go to the funeral, which was on Thursday, December 23.  We had planned to stay in Cary Friday night to be with the kids for Christmas anyway, so we started thinking in terms of just going on home.  We plan to take the RV back for an upcoming trip to Florida in January to check on the boat (in Stuart, Fl). 

Tuesday morning around 2 am, we had to take Dad to the hospital with a blockage in his intestines.  They ended up sending him to Asheville because, if Dad needed surgery, the only surgeon at Spruce Pine is on vacation. 

Dad was released Christmas eve.  By now, the weather forecast starts talking about snow on Saturday.  Dad can't travel well, so we pick up some items at Walmart and head up the mountain to see if we have snow and if so, hunker down.



Christmas morning with the kids

Well, We've had snow. It started Christmas morning.  

Slade and I worked it out so we could be with the kids when they opened their Christmas presents - through Skype.  It almost felt like we were there - except for the hugs.

It's now Sunday afternoon and it hasn't stopped snowing yet.  The temperature is 20, and it's now supposed to start getting colder.  And the wind has picked up - it's predicted to get to 60 mph tonight and tomorrow.  With more snow. We're hunkered down for the long run.

I've checked the RV, cut on the heat, checked the generator - in case we lose power.  We'll move into the RV.  We sure aren't able to get off the mountain. 

We've probably had 10 inches (it's hard to tell how much because the wind is blowing) - in some places it's 2-3 feet and others 0.

Dad had made the comment on the way up here that he'd like to see snow on Christmas.  Maybe we should blame him.

And it's still snowing.

Monday

Sunday night the wind howled all night.  Based on previous experience when my aenometer was working, I estimate we had 60-80 mph gusts.  It snowed most of the night.

After sunrise, the skies started clearing and it finally stopped snowing around noon.

By this time, the wind had moved all the snow around.  We now have a 4-5 foot drift in front of the steps at the front of the house.

We also have a huge 4-5 foot high pile of snow in front of the garage where our car is parked.  Although it makes no difference for a couple of days because we certainly won't be trying to drive the car down the mountain, it is going to take a monumental effort to move the snow.  I've called Bryan McMurry who is plowing the roads with his tractor and asked him to try and get the snow our when he's back up here plowing again.  Otherwise I don't think it will melt until next summer.

I ventured out for a walk in the afternoon.  It is beautiful, but the wind is still howling.  I found an old set of ski goggles in the attic and wore them to keep the wind blown snow from stinging my eyes. 

The wind is supposed to lay down late tonight. 

The wind moves the snow

Beautiful wind carvings

Wind driven snow behind the screens

Slade called and he and the kids will be coming up from Cary later this week.  Something to really look forward to.

Wednesday, December 29

Slade, Candace, Evan and Anna arrived for Christmas.  Immediately we started opening belated Christmas presents

Thursday we went to Beech Mountain and we all tried tubing - fun,  but entirely too crowded for anyone to really enjoy.

The kids enjoyed to mountain of snow in the front yard about as much as going to Beech.

The kids visit makes the Christmas complete, with a lot of love and happiness shared.

Hopefully, this will not be the last of Christmas celebrations with Four Generations of Inscoes.

The kids leave on Wed, Dec 29 and we plan to leave the next week.  However, on Friday morning, Dec 31, we awake to more snow with a prediction of snow for the next few days, so we hurriedly pack up and head down the mountain.  We take Dad back to Nashville, and on Monday morning, Jan 3, we pick up Evan and Anna for a surprise trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Concord. 

On the way to Concord, we run into snow around Greensboro.  However we make it for a fun filled two days at an indoor waterpark.



Evan's little sister



Evan in his new sports coat

Mimi makes them laugh

We plan to go back to Spruce Pine for the rest of the week with the kids, however, upon checking with neighbors on the mountain, we find that they have had snow for the past 4 days, and it's impossible to get to the house, so we head to Beaufort for a wonderful time with the kids.

Thus ends a very different Christmas from any we expected or any that we have experienced before.