Shortly after taking the previous two pictures, we chained up the RV, went down the drive, removed the chains and began a 3,750 mile road trip to visit family and friends. During our two-week trip, weather at home remained cold and cloudy. Our southern exposure was little advantage; on return, we chained up to negotiate the still snow-covered drive. A day later, the weather turned really cold: below −20°F at the Main House (colder at the Carriage House), followed by three weeks of clouds and snow. A white Christmas was a safe bet this year. Weather was so bad the elk herd avoided our side of the canyon; they retreated to lower elevations until the weather moderates.

We went on our annual “shopping trip” in the front yard for a Christmas tree. Unlike previous years, we managed to cut a Christmas tree only 7' tall. Putting it up was a problem because our base is meant for larger trees.