Early October Snow - 2005

   Ed's Internet Coffee House on the Hill is located in the beautiful Chestnut Ridge foothills of the Laurel Mountains.  The area is slightly higher than 2,300 feet above sea level so winter weather sometimes comes earlier and leaves later than the lower elevations of the local towns and cities.  In the fall of 2005 was one of those years for an early snow storm.
   On the afternoon of October 24th, snow started falling and continued to fall over night and throughout the morning of the 25th accumulating about 5-6 inches of snow.  Being so early in fall, the trees still had leaves on them which collected the heavy wet snow as it fell.  The weight of snow on the tree branches began to cause them to snap and break.  The Laurel Mountain area power was disrupted for a couple of days due to downed trees and branches.
   When the power goes out for an extended period of time, you learn to improvise and do what ever it takes to preserve and cook your food.  When this occurs in cooler weather you use a snow pack for the refrigerator items and pack snow around your freezer items inside a cooler.  The gas grill will become the stove to prepair your meals.  The broken tree branches are cut up and stored to become next years fire wood to help keep you warm.