Pawpaw Holler Home

In the Townsend area?

Treat your sweetheart to dinner this weekend at Smoky Junction Restaurant:

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: holidays, restaurants, Townsend

Here we go again!

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Great Smoky Mountains until 10pm tonight. 1-3 inches of snow is possible plus there is another round of snow in the forecast for Sunday through Monday.

Weather Updates For The Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountains Forecast –From the National Weather Service

Radar –For the East Tennessee area

Mt. LeConte Weather –3rd highest peak in the Park (26 inches of snow on the ground as of this morning)

Road Closings In The Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains Temporary Road and Facilities Closures –NPS

Great Smoky Mountains Road and Facility Improvements –NPS

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Conditions –Live updates at yoursmokies.com.

You can also get updated road and weather information for the Great Smoky Mountains by calling (865) 436-1200.

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, road closures/delays, snow, travel info, weather, winter

There is a wind advisory in effect for the Smoky Mountains until 4pm today and a high wind watch continuing through Wednesday afternoon with wind gusts as high as 60 mph possible.

The Smokies also have a winter weather advisory in effect until 4pm today and from 7pm tonight through 4pm Wednesday.

Smoky Mountains Weather Forecast

Radar

Mt. LeConte Weather –Daily updates (and beautiful photos) from Doug McFalls, winter caretaker at LeConte Lodge.

Most roads in the Smoky Mountains are already closed and, due to road improvement projects, some will not re-open until May.

Great Smoky Mountains Temporary Road and Facilities Closures –NPS

Great Smoky Mountains Road and Facility Improvements –NPS

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Conditions –Live updates at yoursmokies.com.

You can also get updated road and weather information for the Great Smoky Mountains by calling (865) 436-1200.

Blessings and safe traveling,

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, road closures/delays, snow, travel info, weather, wind, winter

There is a wind advisory in effect for the Great Smoky Mountains this afternoon until 4pm plus a winter weather advisory has been issued for 9pm tonight through 4pm tomorrow. Total snow accumulation may be 2 to 5 inches…with heavier amounts possible in the highest elevations.

Smoky Mountains Forecast

Radar

We don’t have a wind advisory here (just outside the Park) but it has been extremely windy today (I’m surprised we still have power, as much as it’s flickered on and off today) –so if you’re even heading toward the mountains, please be careful.

Blessings and drive safely,

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, snow, travel info, weather, wind

The Townsend Winter Heritage Festival takes place this week, Thursday through Sunday, February 4-7, 2010.

A celebration of the history, people, and traditions of Townsend TN, Cades Cove, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

All programs require pre-registration.  Most are free;  events with food will have a charge, so call the host businesses to make reservations.

Schedule is subject to change.

There will be presentations, exhibits, hikes, demonstrations and much more.

Download the full program booklet (PDF) here:

Winter Heritage Booklet 2010

Please call the Townsend Visitors Center at (865) 448-6134 or (800) 525-6834 for more information.

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: free-events, Great Smoky Mountains, local events and activities, Townsend

January 31 2010

Sunset

February 1 2010

Hope you all enjoyed these pictures of our winter wonderland.

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: ice, nature-photos, snow, sunsets, trees, winter

Need something to do today?

There will be an Open House/Craft Fair today, January 31st, 2010 from 2-4pm at the Highland Manor Inn Conference Center in Townsend, Tennessee.

Several vendors will be there including; Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Premier Designs and Southern Living. You’ll find homemade and gift items such as jewelry, hair bows, baby items, and many more.

Everyone is welcome and there will be refreshments and door prizes.

Traveling north through Townsend on 321, Highland Manor Inn is located at 7766 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy -on the right, just past the Valley View Lodge.

In case of bad weather, you might want to call the motel to be sure the Open House hasn’t been cancelled –(865) 448-2211.

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: free-events, local events and activities, Townsend

We’re still waiting on the big snow storm here next to the Smoky Mountains. The current forecast is calling for 4-9 inches total for Townsend and  6-14 inches in the Park –but you never know, it could be a lot less or a lot more.

Smoky Mountains Weather Forecast

Radar

Are you prepared if the power goes out?

Staying Warm

If you have a woodstove or fireplace, make sure you have enough wood to last a few days, and stack it somewhere out of the weather –it’s no fun digging out wood from under 3 feet of snow (did that during the blizzard of ‘93). Same thing if you use a kerosene heater -be sure you have a few days supply of fuel.

Here are some ideas to stay warm, if you don’t have an alternative heat source:

• close off all but one room of your house
• cover all your windows and doors with blankets
• share body heat –dress warmly and pile up together under blankets
• stay with a neighbor who does have heat

Eating

If you have a woodstove or fireplace, you should have no problem –just cook right on top of the woodstove or on the coals in the fireplace.  You can also heat food on top of a kerosene heater, depending on how hot it gets. Do you have a BBQ grill? You can cook on that, too (outside).

No way to cook? Just make sure you have plenty of food stocked up that you don’t have to cook.

Some examples:

• cold cereals
• canned tuna
• crackers
• peanut butter
• bread
• granola bars
• fresh and canned fruit
• Vienna sausages
• Beanie weenies
• lunchmeats –ham, bologna, turkey, etc.
• cheese
• salad vegetables –carrots, celery, cucumbers, etc.

(Be sure you have a manual can-opener)

And, if the power does go out, don’t worry about your refrigerated or frozen food –stick it outside in the snow!

Water

Be prepared by jugging up some water, anywhere from 1-4 gallons per person per day for drinking, cooking, washing, and using the bathroom (and don’t flush the toilet each time you go). If you have pets, you’ll need water for them, too.

You can also melt snow (it takes a lot) or get water from a creek for your bathroom needs (8 drops of bleach per gallon will purify water for drinking –or boil it, which is best).

Be sure you have a big pot to heat water in (if you have a non-electric heat source).

Light And Communication

Be sure to have on hand:

Candles or oil lamps (and lamp oil)

Battery operated radio

Extra batteries

If you have a cell phone, be sure it’s completely charged (and have a car charger in case the battery runs down)

Above all, stay safe and don’t go anywhere unless it’s an emergency (life or death situation) –and don’t bother the police with trivialities.

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: being-prepared, Great Smoky Mountains, snow, Townsend, weather

They’ve hollered “snow” and the closings begin (so far it’s just Anderson and Scott County schools):

WBIR Severe Weather Closings And Cancellations

Blessings and stay safe,

Denese

Tags: closings, News, weather

It poured down rain on Sunday and our creek got up –so we just had to go see our waterfall.

Along the way we saw…

moss on a rock…

a wildflower ( cranesbill ?) emerging from the leaves…

and mushrooms on a log.

Our mini-waterfall

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Psalms 78:16

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: hiking, moss, mushrooms, nature-photos, scripture, water, waterfall, wildflowers, winter