HAIRPIN ISSUES: ROAD BLOCKED

 

I am at the lower hairpin heading up, and a large tree is across the road and took power lines with it.  I was going to cut it up, but with embedded wires I'll defer to Duke Energy.  Impassable for now.  Buttered Biscuit is open, so heading there now. 😛

Bob

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES...

Wed. AM 19/25/24 from end of Staymon.
(Click to enlarge)

Unless you're living under a rock, you know Hurricane Helene is soon to wreak havoc in our area with prodigious rainfall and gusty winds starting Thursday but mostly on Friday.

The heavy rains we've seen today, Wednesday, is not related to Helene; rather, there is a tight jetstream trough dipping in the Southeast, with a low pressure cell that developed in the bottom of the trough and has been drawing up Gulf moisture, sending a wide swath of heavy rains along the stalling frontal boundary.  Just mincing weather words, really...lol!

The effect is the rains today and tonight and early tomorrow are simply going to soak the soil levels to the degree that when the wind fields get here Friday, weak trees will begin to topple, and I'm expecting to lose power at some point, especially on Friday.

Having worked in TV for 24 years, I cringe when I see the typical weather related stories of have this, have that, get this, get that...but it does bear repeating that I'm staging flashlights and candles, and charging batteries in anticipation of an outage.  Whereas most of our outages might be limited to just Apple Creek/Mauney Cove Rd area, this storm could cause a much wider spread of outages, which means it may take longer for power to come back on.  Just sayin'...

In fact, I'm loading the chainsaw and supplies in my car so I can ensure I get home from work the next couple of days, just in case I come across a tree down across the road.  Being overprepared beats being underprepared.

Weather will improve quickly this weekend, so this is not a very long event, but we still have to navigate the next 60 hours or so.

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As an aside, our annual HOA meeting last Saturday went smoothly and was lightly attended, but I got to meet a few new folks in the process.  Looking ahead, October 7-ish may be when our annual paving efforts will take place, at the mercy of weather-related scheduling by the paving company.  I'll be posting the actual date as best I can when it is set, which is usually very close to the actual event.  Stay tuned!

Bob

ANNUAL HOA MEETING REMINDER

Muted sunrise from the end of Staymon Rd.
 (click to enlarge)

Just a friendly reminder that our annual ACAHOA meeting is this coming Saturday:

Date:  September 21, 2024

Time:  10am - 12pm

Location:  Waynesville Public Library Auditorium

                (lower level, enter from back)

The meeting will include director's reports, the latest information on road maintenance/repaving, and any new business brought up by attendees. 

Bob

ANNUAL MEETING AND PROXIES...AND A FEW PICS

 

Inspiration Point by Lambuth Inn

Just another sunrise from the end of Staymon

West Virginia White on White Violet
(click on all pics to enlarge)

By now, all property owners should have received notice of the upcoming Annual Meeting of ACAHOA, as well as a proxy and return envelope.  If you cannot attend the meeting, PLEASE make sure to fill out the proxy (your vote) and use the return envelope in a timely manner., well before the scheduled meeting.  This will ensure we have a quorum for the meeting to proceed.

Date:  September 21, 2024

Time:  10am - 12pm

Location:  Waynesville Public Library Auditorium

The meeting will include director's reports, the latest information on road maintenance/repaving, and any new business brought up by attendees. 

Bob

JUNE UPDATE, THOUGHTS, WHAT'S AHEAD

(click on pics to enlarge)

I've been meaning to post an update for a while, but I have had very little shareable news come my way.  Nonetheless, there are some things worth mentioning, so I figured I'd start with some sunrises/dawns from home.  Now that school is out and I'm not leaving the mountain at O'dark-thirty to drive a yellow tin can, I get to enjoy the beginning of new days.  Around 5:30am the birds start singing en force, and the lanscape begins to slowly brighten.  A lot of mornings it is a subtle transition, while others make a postcard.  My favorite of the shots above is the third one down, with the crescent moon hanging above the skyglow above Lake Junaluska.  Coffee seems to taste extra nice then, too.  :-)

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Over the past weeks we've had some good rains, and if Staymon Road is any indication, the grading/rolling of our side roads some time ago took very, very well.  Very happy to see that.  I also want to thank everyone for their patience with  Apple Creek Road closing part of a day to put in the culvert down low...when paving takes place, that little ditch will be filled in, of course.  Gravel put in there did get washed out in one of our downpours.

Here's the thing about any roads, but especially our roads:  Water is the number one source of deterioration and damage, and must be controlled and channeled as needed to protect the road sides and bed.  That trouble gets compounded with freezing temperatures and water crossing the road, for obvious reasons.

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The upcoming HOA Annual Meeting in either late August or early September.  I mentioned this before, and some of you have talked about it.  All along our board is staffed with those that volunteer to fill the positions of president, vie-president, treasurer, and secretary, for the minimum.  You get lot dues paid (for one lot) by doing so, and the majority of work concerns paving/grading, and winter weather issues.  There are other things, of course, like lot owners that refuse to pay dues, but there is a retained lawyer to handle that.  The past few years, very few have stepped forward, which means the former board stays in place.  I think I speak for them to say they need a break as they've been in place a few years.  BUT...and this is a seriously big 'but'...

We in Apple Creek HOA are a lot closer than we think to having an outside third party take over the HOA, which is done in many areas.  Rest assured this will cause bigger issues, among others the jacking up of annual fees.  Our current $300/year fee per lot is a steal of a deal, hands down, and one of the least expensive around.  Do we really want to start paying $1,000 or more annually, which is an entirely reasonable outcome?  I'm hoping we will have those interested to let it be known.  Throwing it out there for now...

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On a lighter note, the first Friday of each month from May through December, downtown Waynesville has "Art After Dark" from 6p-9p.  A lot of galleries are open, and a few stores, as well, often with light snacks (I can never spell the horse-doober word!).  Friday July 5, I will be playing and demonstrating with my Native American style flutes that I've been making for 22 years, at the Haywood County Arts Council storefront (86 North Main Street).  For those that live near me, you have heard flute music lilting through the air at times.  If you're out and about, please stop by and say howdy!

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And ending on an even lighter note, bears on your deck are one thing....but how about a turkey on your car?  She was nice enough to leave a greeting card when she flew away...  :-/

Bob

ROAD WORK WEDNESDAY

Apple Creek Road will be closed this Wednesday, May 1, from 10am-3pm for scheduled road work.  That's all the information I have.

Bob

NOTHIN' LIKE APRIL SNOWFLAKES, EH?

From the vault: Bull Elk bugling, Cataloochee Valley Herd
(click to enlarge)

It's a minor thing, this cold shot incoming that will drop our temps from a high near 80 today to a low near 30 Thursday morning.  But before the cold arrives, we have pretty gusty winds coming in today and tonight, along with rain and possibly some good rumbles of thunder.  Cooler air invades for Wednesday, but more showers will be possible.  

It's the overnight hours into Thursday morning that the cold air aloft can keep snow mixing in with the (limited) rain to the surface, and maybe a temporary accumulation before melting.  Roads should be fine given the warmth of the ground and the not-so-low temps...and in case your jaw is open, we have seen snow here in May.  This is just one of those. "Aw, I was enjoying the great spring weather...". 

Good news is that the temps start to rebound after a chilly Thursday and Friday, with Sunday being the pick weekend day with sunny highs back into the mid and upper 60s.

Bob