Posted on: Dec 01, 2024 at 4:05 PM

Hey y'all. well itz been a little over 2 months since Helene hit the area, and since I last posted 10/26, this is an update. Patty and I are doin good, and as stated, were Very Lucky we had only a "sneeze" wth a flooded bsmt compared to those who lost Everything,[42 Lives], homes, vehicles]! They are now forced to endure the very cold, windy weather we are having and spose to continue At Least, another week. No lake effect to deal wth down here like any of you Clevelanders, thank goodness, but terrible weather to be in a tent! THAT is the Surreal, Mental aspect of it all! We are surrounded by "all-to-real" conditions. People are having to endure physically, mentally and environmentally. Hardly anything looks the same; where once there were trees, serene rivers and a bustling River Arts District, esp this time of year, now itz All changed...Alot Forever! Thats a HEAVY word, but IT is So True. Businesses will rebuild, roads will be fixed, bridges re-built, but those Lives are Gone; and trees, and bushes, and bogs etc, will take decades to recover! The "views" in ,and of, the mountains are so altered itz hard to comprehend. To see wth your own eyes the "stuff" you see on the news, no more than 20-25 minutes away, has a hard time sinking in, but is ALL TO REAL, actually as I said, SURREAL! We got drinkable faucet water Back Nov 19th, 53 Days post-Helene. [That was a drag], but again, we're in a warm home and flushin' the toilet. It was amazing how "everyday", now-adays, things like water, cell svc, internet, Power are Not thought about TIL ITZ GONE, for Days and weeks atta time. You get thru it, somehow, and I'm so Very Thankful we were so "spared". Can't Even imajin If We had lost our home, let alone a pet or vehicle, and so on. PLEASE, You who may read this, Continue to Remember the People of WNC, gone and remaining, that have so very far to go in their recovery; and spread the word that the NEED down here is Still Great! Not ashamed to say re-calling all this brings tears to my eyes, guessing that that thing called "PTS" is still hidden 'in there' a little bit as I mourn those Still Dealing with the Devastation and Trauma Helene brought to these beautiful Carolina Mtns.

Posted on: Oct 26, 2024 at 12:46 PM

Hey y'all. Finally got Net back couple days ago so can now access site. Had a ton of things to catch up on...What a Month since Helene blew [Literally very hard] thru town! Throw in HISTORIC Flooding and the city, but especially the County, and those Outlying areas and beautiful Western NC, doesn't, and wont, look the same again! A horrific thing to have gone threw. Probably most of u know by now from pics and the news what happened here, but as is usually the case, unless you lived it and know the area and "little" towns less known, that are so devastated, itz V Hard to grasp the scope of what really went on and "What's Left". Itz very SAD and my Heart Aches for So Many that LOST SO MUCH! My wife Patty and I came thru OK vs so many others! IF so Inclined, Continue to Pray for ALL OF WNC And if you can, Donate to WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN! Helping such organizations wth $$ to HELP PROVIDE for the Needs of our area IS Probly the best thing, NOW, u can do! We ARE Over-Donated wth supplies, bottled water, etc. DOWN THE LINE a month or so from now WHEN current Supplies will have been depleted, and the weather gets colder, is When Many will need MORE! I have a FB page for u to see more if interested. Thx for ur care and concern over this last month that I wasnt able to see, except for a little Help from Joe, Jay and Rupe. Experiencing PTS is a strange and uncomfortable feeling, and when being "that place" u see on tv , and saying "those poor folks" happens to yourself, it is Surreal. Maybe more later. Thx for listening, russ

Posted on: Oct 20, 2024 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Sep 07, 2024 at 6:33 PM

Happy B'day, Chris 2024, 5and half hrs early! Have a great yr

Happy B'day Phil! Have a great yr!

Rupe, maybe u should think about doing some Standup in retm't instead of hacking new paths and tending the land...Ur nite out wth ur bride sounded outstanding..quite descriptive. love ur humor!

Posted on: Apr 13, 2024 at 12:18 PM

OK, all you folk who were lucky enuff to catch totality as I was wth my wife,Patty, and friends,[ol classmates, mentioned in my other posts], at Rupe's--you will be glad to know, wth a good amt of "Back knowledge" frm Space.com, that we were seeing Prominences during Totality; Not flares. Still very exciting 2 c with the naked eye. I saw 3, wth the biggest, longest lasting on the bottom left in the corona. Although they are the Size of multiple earths, to see them clearly from 93 million miles away was, to say the least, spectacular. I'll never 4get the experience. Sorry some of you could not make it to Rupe's, not only for the Eclipse, but for the grillmaster's [RUPE} expertise!