Picture postcard

 We received just around three and a half inches of snow on Monday, plus cold temperatures, enough to make it prettier than ever on MFL.  We've made arrangements with Steve, the manager of the VRBO, to snowblow up to JP's whenever we get snow, and he's super responsive to texts and emails.  It only took us well into our second winter up here to figure this out.  Fortunately, our learning curve is flattening out.

We are under a winter weather advisory until 11:00 tomorrow night.  The forecasted totals keep changing, but the cold temps don't.  We'll be below zero tomorrow night. 

The day before my son and his girlfrined were due to arrive, our water heater started acting up.  It's not a huge surprise because it's old, and we knew that, but the timing, ugh.  Fortunately, with my contractor sending subs up here for our bathroom renovation, I'm able to be in contact with reputable companies.  Unfortunately, because they're good, they're really busy.  We have a 50-50 the heater is shot.  It could be one of two piping conduits within the heater itself, or a new one is in our future.  We currently have warm enough water - because we shot the temperature up - to take a quick shower.   Time will tell!

It appears - and I may be summoning karma - that Amerigas has gone away.  I sent them a very long letter on February 1, 2022 outlining every phone call and bill I had received since I cancelled the account on October 8th, and I enclosed a check for $13.80, rental on the tank for 38  days.  They cashed the check on February 14th, and I did not get the usual bill with $35 late charge added on the end of February.  So it's only taken five months for them to figure this out...maybe.  Karma does not have a sense of humor.

As we were splitting wood late morning, James (20) showed up to say hi.  Then he saw the treehouse and wanted to go in, but I had to explain springtime.  We were behind the house and did not know that he had come by himself - he's three - until Catherine appeared to tell him it was time to go home because he did not ask permission to leave.  She said she saw a flash of orange as he streaked down the road towards us.  Oops.  Having been the parent of two small boys, I know how frantic a mom can feel.

And lastly, Alex and Sam (son and girlfriend) loved skiing at Telluride and want to come back in two weeks.  I don't think they'll have time - hey, 30-year-olds - but I'm thrilled that it was such a good experience.  Of course, the ride over and back is nothing to sneeze at, and they were so buy gawking they forgot to eat the homebaked goodies I'd put in the car for them.  Until you're actually here, it's so hard to describe the breathtaking scenery in adequate terms.