December 15, 2024 - Hello my lovelies. Writing you from Hurricane Central. Some of you might recall I live on a mountain right outside Asheville, NC, where Helene wreaked havoc at the end of September. We are still living the nightmare. It’s hard to process what has happened to these beloved mountains. Personally I can tell you my home looks like a logging camp. I have lost my old forest growth backyard and black bear preserve. No turkeys come through as they did for years, only the occasional confused looking deer. I never see my bobcat anymore, the one who used to amble by while I was reading on the chaise. Of course I don’t read on the chaise anymore, the view is too distressing. There’s a tarp covering my roof, waiting for insurance. I know I’m lucky to have a roof, but I don’t like looking at it all the same.

I’ve had several churches and volunteer groups cut up the ancient downed trees but they are not carted off yet because there’s nowhere to cart them. Every day I see RV’s hauled in to home the displaced. Just about every day I argue with my insurance company and beg FEMA to come out. It is discouraging, to say the least. So far neither one has helped with the damage and I am having to fund it out of my own pocket and hope for reimbursements. So the logging camp and the tarp will be the last things I deal with.

This has been hardest on my adult daughter, who has fairly severe autism. She hates change. Since covid, change is all we know. We didn’t have power or water for 17 days and stayed in cabins in Maggie Valley, and she keeps telling me she wants to go back. The daily assault of all the damaged and formerly beautiful scenery is especially hard on her. I lost all those lovely soups I spent all summer making, which is the least of my problems, but still haunts me.

What I am trying to tell you is that unfortunately, my muse was blown away with the hurricane winds. I am trying to get her back. Chapter 17 is well underway but I am having trouble landing the plane. I hope to have it up by the end of the year. Peace and love to you all, misscyn