Pocono Talk

I hope that everyone has enjoyed their holiday season so far, I know it’s a slight relief now that the majority of the hustle and bustle is over with.  Although for those of us with kids we know the real relaxation begins when they’re back in school! My oldest son started Kindergarten this year – he went from 1/2 day school every other day in preschool his first year to full day classes (9-3) for his second year of preschool.  This year though he started Kindergarten and hops on the bus at 8:30am and doesn’t get home until 4:30pm.  For a 6 year old that’s a LONG day so he is welcoming this break from school and we’re happy to have him home.  I give it another day or two until the novelty of being at home during the day wears off and he’s begging to go back to the constant activities of school and hanging out with his friends.

The notion of full day Kindergarten took me by surprise at first.  Our son had never been in daycare and although I feel like we prepared him for school a bit by sending him to preschool it still seemed like a long day.  For me, Kindergarten was a few hours, mostly learning letters and doing activities, boy have times changed.  My son’s biggest complaint was the lack of free time “play time” they get and how much “learning” is involved.  Computer class, Social Studies, Math…they all seem like really ‘big kid’ classes and I wasn’t sure how he would handle all of the extra work..especially homework(that was a fun concept to explain).  All in all though he’s adjusted really well, I am more then impressed with how much he has learned, especially with reading.  He’s able to read and spell words that are quite impressive – the days of being able to spell out “ice cream” to my husband are now long past though.

Not every Kindergarten in the Poconos is full day classes, our son is also on the “old” side of his class, just missing the cut off date for the previous year by a week, so if you’re looking to send your little one off to school be sure to do your homework.  Some of the schools give you the option of full or half day depending on how many kids they have, and the ability levels that your child has.  Full day Kindergarten is a newer thing in the area, my sons school only started doing it last year, it was a learning curve at first but he seems to have settled into the full day adjustment just fine.

A few things that have helped:

1) Lots of sleep.   We pushed his bedtime back from 8:00 to 7:30, sometimes 7:00.  He also takes the occasional nap when he gets home, we just make sure he doesn’t sleep too much so he’s ready for bed.

2) A snack.  Although getting of the bus at 4:30 and eating dinner at 5-5:30 doesn’t seem like much time for a snack, giving him something to eat – even the ’start’ of dinner(a roll, salad,  veggies) that he would be eating anyway takes that “edge” off.

3) Preparation.  We make sure homework is done and lunch/snacks, coat, gloves, etc. are all laid out the night prior as well as his outfit for the next day – it avoids that morning rush/confusion.

Times are changing, to me school seems a lot more challenging then it was ‘back in the day’ but at the same time the output from it – the learning, abilities and skills that result from it seem well worth it.  If you’re getting ready to send your little one off next year be sure to get them acclimated now.  Their sleep schedule, structured routines, tours of the school…all of it can be done far in advance to make the process as smooth as possible.

*These are not properties I own, just ones I came across – if you’re looking for a Pocono Rental be sure to check them out!*

Enjoy the sounds of trickling water over the rocks on the back deck of our private Cabin on the Creek at Arrowhead Lake in the Poconos. We are located just 15 min. from Jack Frost/Big Boulder ski resort in the resort community of Arrowhead lake.

Well, we missed what could have been a really big snowstorm for our area and escaped with just a few inches across the Poconos.  About 2-5 inches fell across the region leaving a fresh coat of white powder, but nothing more then a typical storm and definitely not anything to write home about.

For most of us it was a very iffy storm – the predictions were initially 4-8 inches then upped to 6 to 12.  The radar showed precipitation over the area from early on Saturday – yet there was no snow falling.  There was supposedly really dry air that was preventing the snow from falling and if it had moved out earlier we would have gotten those larger numbers expected.  It wasn’t until about 5pm that the snow actually started to reach the ground and by that point the storm was already pulling out to sea and moving away.

I am disappointed – I’ll admit it.  For all the fussing I do about snow, how it can be an inconvenience, shoveling is a pain…I still love a good winter storm with nice snow accumulations.  As I headed out last night to shovel what little snow had fallen there it was…that Winter Magic.  The air was cold but crisp and the snow was light and fluffy and glistened from the nearby lights.  Our Christmas lights shone through the snow covered bushes and the only sound you could hear was the powdery snow as it hit the ground.  It is a truly magical experience that calm that a snow storm brings to the outdoors.  There are no cars, no animals, no bugs, no planes…it is the quietest that nature gets and everything seems to slow down and stop all at once.

We might have missed it this time, but it’s inevitable that there is more snow in the near future.  The next wave of snow is expected Christmas day, hopefully it will be enough for a dusting to give that true “White Christmas” with snow actually falling on Christmas, but not enough to effect travel plans.  Until then it is bound to be a mad shopping rush this week, take your time on the roads as they will still be icy – Route 611 is bound to be JAM PACKED this week – find alternatives if you can or you’ll find yourself spending the majority of the time sitting in traffic not shopping.

The initial call was to be on watch from 6am Saturday to 6am Sunday, that has changed from some snow Sat(which we got maybe an inch) to tapering off around lunch time on Sunday.  The track has greatly changed and predicted amounts have gone up and back down but currently it has only really been snowing for about 3 hours and we have about 2 inches total.  At around 1pm it was really coming down and within 15 minutes the ground was completely covered but then the storm “stalled out” until about 5 pm when snow started really falling again.

It is yet to be seen what the morning will bring, it looks like a couple of inches overnight but for the most part it looks like the Poconos was lucky  enough to avoid most of it.  Although I am sure that the ski resorts would have loved the additional snow, with it being so close to Christmas and so many people still needing to get shopping done we ended up with the best of both worlds.  Enough snow to have a fresh coat and snow covering the ground for Christmas, but not enough to really cause any major problems.

Tomorrow afternoon the snow will have stopped, and the roads should be clear enough to continue about Christmas shopping, heading to church or get to any parties you need to.  We’ll update you on the final totals tomorrow, I’m hoping for at least a few more inches of snow!

It is just before 1pm on Saturday December 19th and the snow is just starting to fall.  Even now the snow seems to be falling with a lot more intensity then it normally does.  This isn’t a “slow” snowfall, it is definitely falling with a purpose.  Ever since the cold front came in earlier this week the ground has been frozen solid which means that any snow that falls is definitely going to12″ stick and accumulate.

Right now the “Winter Storm Warning” projections are still at 4-8 inches of snow for the Poconos.  The weather “prediction” maps are showing us well within the 6-12 inch range with Philadelphia in the 12+ inch range.

Last night there was the rush and bustle associated not only with getting ready for a big storm, but also for trying to get some last minute Christmas shopping in before the snow hits.  Although this storm has the potential to drop a lot of snow in the Poconos, we have gotten ‘punked’ in the past and only ended up with a few inches.  But if the start of this storm is any indicator of what is expected to come, then it looks like it’s shaping up to be more then just a normal storm.

If you have to go out today or tomorrow morning just be cautious, the wind is going to make it more difficult to see then usual and the roads can be dangerous until they get plowed.  If you are off the main roads be especially cautious – do not pull over on the side of the road unless you need to – if you need to stop be sure to pull into a parking lot, driveway, etc.  There are many areas that have drainage ditches/holes that are bound to be covered in snow and you definitely do not want to get stuck in them.

I passed by the Red Lobster in Bartonsville today(although they list it as Stroudsburg on www.RedLobster.com)  and saw the above sign posted outside.  So to all those wondering, the Red Lobster in the Poconos is opening on January 18th, 2010.  The next closest Red Lobster I believe is down in the Whitehall/Allentown area or up in Scranton.

Red Lobster
3588 RT. 611
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 421-2743

The Poconos are definitely getting snow this weekend, the question is how much?

It looks like the storm will arrive overnight tonight and last into late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.  If you’re looking to travel to the Poconos this weekend it is definitely something you need to watch for and plan accordingly.  Traveling tomorrow with the snow combined with the holiday traffic could be make for a very difficult weekend.

Right now the Poconos are projected for about 3-6 inches, this storm is not ‘accurate’ yet by any means which means we could possibly be in for a lot more.

**Update** As of 6:30pm the snow totals have been upped to 4-8 inches

Winter Storm Warning Friday December 18th, 2009

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH EARLY SATURDAY. THE SNOW COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES DURING SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF EARLY SUNDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL THIS WEEKEND.

THE SNOW COULD FALL HEAVY AT TIMES… WHICH MAY COMBINE WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS TO PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THIS MAY CAUSE DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.

THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE TRACK OF THIS DEVELOPING STORM. IF A MORE WESTWARD TRACK MATERIALIZES, SNOW AMOUNTS COULD REACH WARNING CRITERIA IN THE WATCH AREA. A MORE EASTWARD TRACK WOULD YIELD LIGHTER AMOUNTS.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW… SLEET… OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

The Red Lobster in the Poconos looks to be opening shortly.  The construction looks totally complete and a sign is up saying they’re hiring which is a good sign that they’re just about ready to open.  It’s location is on 611 in Bartonsville where Crossroads(the truck stop) use to be and the new Giant supermarket is.  There is also a large number of yet to be determined retail spaces available.

There have been many other chain restaurants that have opened in the Poconos in the past 5 years:
Olive Garden – Stroudsburg
Panera Bread – Stroudsburg
Five Guys – Stroudsburg
Red Robin – Bartonsville
Longhorn Steakhouse – Bartonsville
Chilis – Bartonsville
Sonic – Bartonsville

and plenty more.

As soon as we get word on the opening date for the Red Lobster we’ll be sure to post it.

This  past Sunday, December the 13th, was predicted to be icy, and sure was it.  The weekends are always busy in the Poconos with tourism in both the summer months and winter months it can make for crowded roadways.  What made it especially traffic laden this weekend was the ice that arrived in the morning hours on Sunday.  In the higher elevations it started out as sleet (picture above), changed to freezing rain and finally just rain.  There was at least some visual with the sleet that the roads could be slippery.  Unfortunately in the lower elevations the rain came down, but the problem is that the ground was frozen turning it into ice and very deceiving ice at that.  You would have just assumed it was raining, and it was warm enough too, but the frozen ground from the previous week made for quite a dangerous drive.

There were plenty of fender benders, people sliding off the road, and unfortunately a fatality or two due to the ice.  With many people heading out to church or home, it’s easy to rationalize the fact that you ‘must’ drive.  At the same time you really need to double check the weather, and the conditions, and weigh the outcomes.  Getting in an accident or being stuck in hours for traffic in the cold is not worth it sometimes.  The snow they’re pretty good about clearing, the ice, with these roads…you really need to be careful.  Unfortunately we get a lot of weather changes in the winter, it doesn’t just snow and stay snow for the winter.   Here’s hoping for more snow, and no more ice!

I woke up this morning and it was a brisk 14 degrees outside, by the time I took the above picture it had ‘warmed’ up to a not-so-balmy 19 degrees.  It’s not expected to get too much warmer in the coming days, it looks like winter has finally set in.  It has been incredibly windy and incredibly cold, not a great combination if you’re planning on visiting the Poconos this weekend and being outside.   The cold this morning combined with the wind made it feel like it was only a couple of degrees out, it wasn’t too bad at first but it’s one of those colds that makes it hurt to breathe in.  I am quite a bit of a sissy when it comes to the cold(I keep 4 blankets on when I sleep), but even for my husband the polar bear it was chilly.

If you didn’t get a chance to shovel the snow from earlier this week it is most likely rock solid.  And if you’re like me and waited to get your outside Christmas lights up until this weekend…well that might have to wait a couple of more days until it warms up a bit.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend in the Poconos it’s the last week for the following:

Quiet Valley’s Old Time Christmas
December 12 & 13
3:30 to 7pm (call for special hours for Group Tours)

Experience an old-fashioned Christmas, from a time before the advent of bright lights Old Time Christmas Lantern and toy commercials, where the light of twinkling of stars and lanterns guide you, the noises you hear are the soft mooing of the cow and the sweet voices of carolers, when the best Christmas gift of all was from the heart and not the store. Come join us at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm as we celebrate the holiday season with a candlelit Christmas.

Visit their website for details and a coupon