Merry Christmas to All!

Nothing like a Christmas morning soak after opening so many generous gifts from family and friends!  Thank you all for making our Christmas morning so special!  Know that you are all in our hearts - we love you and celebrate each one of you in our lives!!  Have a Merry, Merry Christmas Day!!

(Notice: Coffee in the backround.  Not wine!)

Tis The Season

If you have not received it yet - our annual Christmas card, I may have an incorrect address for you.....please do let me know!  Mike and I are fairly certain this is one of our better Christmas cards!  Hope it made you smile, or better yet, laugh really hard!! 

The hot tub pictured was about to be hauled to the dump.  Bill & Gwen had it for awhile, used it to see if it might help Bill's aching back.  When the hot tub provided no relief to pain and it became cumbersome, it was cleaned out and stored in their horse trailer.  Bill was getting heat from Gwen to get rid of the thing.  He asked around.  Mike bit.  I was hesitant; thinking of a concrete pad and 220 electricity. 

We rolled it into the back yard.  Light and soft sided, it needed no pad, just a flat spot.  The pump and heater runs off 110 so it plugs right into the outside outlet.  From the moment the water hit 104, I have been in every single night I've been home.  Mike has missed one night only! 

So, it was a win - win!  Bill and Gwen are extremely tickled we are so happy and we are blissfully enjoying the thing; snowy nights or clear, below-zero nights.  I am sleeping better and quite certain a whole bunch of stress floats off in the steam wafting above the bubbly, hot water.

Life is good.  Life is really, really good when you have a hot tub!  Thank you Bill & Gwen!!

 

Rain and Snow

There are few things worse than rain after a snowfall.  The roads turn slick and treacherous, the rain drops fall in circles on water above the iced pavements.  Yuck.  It is gray and raining in town.  Happily, the mountains are getting hammered!  Avalanches are going to be running, for sure!  Check out the Togwotee webcam and the Jackson Webcam below!
Togwotee Web Cam

Rain in Town, YUCK!

A Personal Break

After a professional disappointment yesterday - I was not named Interim Chief, the battalion chief with more seniority was awarded the position - I took some time off.  A quiet morning of wrapping of a few gifts, cooking some elk soup, a nice ski around the place, and after this, a quick dip in the hot tub before heading to get an afternoon's worth of work accomplished.  I am certain, I do more in an afternoon than many get done all day.  Just sayin'.

The ski was great.  First time out this year.  It was not really skiing though.  Six fluffy inches of snow made for ski walking.  Sliissh, slissh, slissh.  The skis sink into the fluff and I slissh my way up hill.  In 30 minutes, sweat is dripping down my back.  Slissh, slissh, slissh.  In ten more minutes, sweat trickles down my front.  There are animal tracks everywhere.  This looks to be a tough winter for our furry friends.  On the horizon, yet another winter storm coming our way with predictions of six more inches of snow.  Then an artic blast promising temperatures to maybe hit zero! 

 

As I returned home for this outside jaunt, lungs filled with cold, fresh air, I count my blessings, feel relief that I am still the Fire Marshal, there are quiet mornings for skiing, and good health to do it all!  

On The Way To Work Today

On the way into work today, my car thermometer read -21 degrees.  I would have taken a photo, but it was too cold!!  How do the animals survive?  Good news is, the temps are going to warm up.  Bad news is a storm is a-coming!  This weather warning was waiting for me on the computer.

Be careful out there!

Sweet Memories

Photographs are great.  They take you right back to the moment.  Standing in the wine tasting room, looking out past the sun lit bottle onto the fields of vines where the grapes were picked to make the very wines you just tasted.  Later, sneaking outside, back of Janet's house, watching the winter sun settle slowly to the southwest horizon, illuminating the patterns of the golf course. 

Tomorrow's memories will be of the snow storm.  Gusty winds rearrange the half foot of fluffy white frozen water.  We are in full-snow moving mode.  The plow truck rumbles below, warming up it 34 year old engine, reading to push the snow into piles and clear roads.  The vehicles have been broomed off, taking away their snowy cloaks.  This is winter in Wyoming.  We need these snows.  Today's marks the seasons first significant snow fall.  I must go.  A snowblower awaits!