Jan 2, 2013 Plans



Snow rope on our fence




JB on MAX clearing road to
south ridge






















We spent Monday engulfed in low clouds.  Different from fog which ebbs and flows from thick to misty.  Appropriate weather for the last day of 2012.  Murky like the year's politics.  Personally, 2012 was our rock'n roll year - a year of Earth, Wind and Fire.  Don't want to do that dance again. . .

We saw the old year out with the rest of our cheese and sausage, and  JB had baked a chocolate chiffon pie with a crust made from almond flour.  Yum!!  We watched "Mama Mia" - what a fun movie!  (When I was young, I wanted very much to sing and dance, but I was just too much of a shy little mouse.)  And actually stayed awake til 11:00 pm.  Before falling asleep, we could hear fireworks going off in nearby canyons.

The New Year dawned crisp and clear with lots of sunshine, which I hope is a good omen.  The valley fog tried for most of the day to sneek up, but the sun kept burning it off.  By the time we took our afternoon walk, the sun was too low and weak, so the fog made it all the way up and over our mountain.  Which I hope is not a bad omen. . . 

Politically, the good news is that he can't run again. . . legally.  Won't think about the possible bad news.  We'll survive.

JB keeps a record of daily temperatures and snowfall.  In December we received a total of 31" of snow!  So far the temperatures are lower than they have been the past three winters, averaging as low as our first winter Up Here, 2008-09.  Wow!  This is our fifth winter.  My how time flies when you're living an adventure.  The total snowfall for 2012 was 134", which is the most we have had in one year.

I realize that if you want to make God laugh, make plans.  But in spite of that, we do have plans for this new year and will improvise, as usual, if they go awry.  There is the promise of seeing our son and grandchildren in June.  Of course that means flying and dealing with airport security, but I will deal with that.  The only major project we have for Up Here is a small addition to the shop in which to park and work on MAX.  I also want to paint the bedroom, and we may work on a smoke house. . . and a root cellar.  Lots of options, but a very small budget.

As far as resolutions go, mine usually don't go very far.  I often resolve to cut down on sugar, which is really my only vice.  I may have a drink once or twice a week, but as far as I am concerned, that hardly counts.  So here we go, "once more into the fray."

Thought for the day:  Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one's own person is its ultimate reward.  Patrical Simpson