Beaver Lake; Asheville, NC In all my years and the many Winters I’ve lived through, this is a sight my eyes had never beheld: Beaver Lake a solid sheet of ice. I’ve certainly had my share of rough and tough Winters but this year’s began with a blast when a true blast of frigid polar air made its way southward to the mountains of Western North Carolina. It was actually three days before the first day of Winter when it hit, and like an unwelcome guest it seemed as if it would never leave. There was well over a foot of snow on the first day, which was followed by three weeks of below freezing temperatures on a daily basis with the overnight lows going into the teens, and sometimes feeling like below zero with the wind chill factor. Over the years, there have been many times I saw ice around the edges of the lake, but never this.
The lake is less than a mile from my home and is a gathering spot for the community, with a well-worn walking path around it where many people go to stroll and jog and enjoy the beauty. Just this past Summer I took some photos to share with Lynndee to give her an idea of what awaits her on her arrival here, and surprisingly, I took a photo from almost the same exact spot as the one above.
Ouite a difference, huh? And ironically, over the past couple of weeks, the weather has been almost springlike, right here in the middle of January, reminding me that soon will come the time that each day I’ll awake to the beauty and warmth of springtime in the mountains, and I can hardly wait.
