HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I had cabin opening duty this morning as it is my housekeeper's well-deserved "DAY OFF!"  As I was treking from #3 - down by the river - to #9 - up above the loop road - I suddenly realized what a LOVELY back yard we are blessed with!!  No wonder folks are willing to pay to stay three to five days here in paradise with the sound of the river, the clear blue sky, and on these unseasonably warm days, even birdsong!

What a blessing not to be living in a "senior apartment complex" with folks above, below, and beside us.  We get to know some incredible folks who DO live in the "anthills" that we know as cities!!  We did our time in those places and I am sure that at some point we might have to again, when the bodies will not keep up with the work required caring for 2.65 acres and nine houses other than our own - I guess that is TEN HOUSES!!

My husband's construction skills have been tested these four years since his retirement from the Sonora United Methodist Church!  He has tackled rebuilding a 60 year old swimming pool, and just recently finding a replacement for a gas log that had expired and was too close to its "life expectancy" to repair, so said the only repairman in the area!!  Did you realize that, like all appliances, gas log fireplaces have a life expectancy.  If properly maintained they might even make it the 15 years they are designed for, if not...

 Likewise, furnaces are appliances and need at least bi-annual checkups.  Fortunately, because we do have power outages, only the two cabins with wood burning fireplaces even HAVE forced air furnaces.  NO POWER, no furnace as the fan requires electricity in order for the furnace to work!  The things one doesn't know about "mountain living" could fill a book!  Like a bag of snow keeps the refrigerator cold during a power failure, going to bed when it gets dark solves the NO TV problem, a camp stove will heat water for coffee in a power failure (and we have camp stoves and propane bottles just for those "emergencies")   No such problem this week though - no snow but gorgeous hiking weather and some of our guests even brought their "off-road vehicles" and went exploring in them!

ALL in ALL a good time was had by all since the ice rink at Long Barn was open as well as the hard working crew up at the SNOWPLAY.com facility at Leland Meadows making snow on our cold winter nights, which unfortunately got pretty slushy in the warm daytime temperatures!  They were not as busy as they could have been, but people did choose to use their equipment and could be heard laughing and hollering for JOY!

Joy to you all and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Tom and Martha