A new interstate highway just off of Old Cougar Road

 Here I am, blazing a trail through 16 inches of wet snow to the satellite dishes.  We won't need to put on our snowshoes to clean off the dishes anymore!  Yay!

I've never used a snow blower before or tried driving a machine that has a right and a left clutch so it took me a while to figure it out.  Travis helped us assemble the machine and gave me some training on how to use it.  That helped a lot.

Now if I can just figure out a way to get it up to the deck.....

A normal January

Since the New Year's festivities, we have been moving a lot of snow around, bringing in firewood and resuming our Cougar Creek Band rehearsals every Tuesday.  I am back to my Jazz Keyboard studies and year two of my Dick Grove Music Theory Course.  In other words, it's back to normal around here.

There's a lot of snow to move around.  We have had a lot of help from Jens, Mathis and Joe.  I don't know what we would do without them.  They have shoveled the barn roof, the house roof, the walkways and the deck - more than once.

We did make the decision to purchase a snow blower and it's on it's way.  (It started out in Ohio and went to Chicago and today it is in Spokane.  Snow blowers don't move very fast)

The good news.  It hasn't snowed since I placed the order. This could mean it's the end of the snow season for us and that would be alright with me.

The Taj Mahal of Sled Run Ramps

We had a new and improved sled run ramp this year thanks to Jens and Mathis.  It came with not one, but two sets of stairs up to the ramp.  It was iced down with five spray bottles of water.  It was the most awesome sled run ever!

Mr. Kody loves the snow.  Maggie thinks he is strange.

Who is going to race next?

Stirring up some snow ice cream.

It's finally New Year's Eve and everything is ready.

The bonfire is burning and we have lots of fuel.  The lawn chairs have been brought up from the barn.  It wasn't easy as the ground heaves with the frost and the door barely has room to open.  Plus, the snow in the path to the barn is a little bit deep.  Thanks guys!

What a beautiful ramp in the light of the lantern.  It was about 23 degrees and a perfect night for sledding.

I think my Christmas tree thinks we have enough snow already.

There was some fun conversation around the fire until it was time to go inside and sing some songs.

Happy New Year!

Up on the roof

It was time to get the snow off of the barn roof.  Jens and Mathis came to the rescue.

Jens took the short side because Mathis wanted the longer side.  The younger you are, the more energy you have.

Their Dad stopped back to check on their progress.  There was only one way to really check it out though and that was to get up on the roof ---   and once you are up there......

.... you are shoveling snow too.

The snow on the roof has been conquered!  Hooray!

The best part is the end when they got to jump off the roof into the shoveled snow. 

Snowmen!  Or is it a Sasquatch covered with snow?

 Thank you so much Joe, Jens and Mathis!   We will soon be ready for the January thaw.  (I think it might be a couple of weeks away, but one never knows)

Snow, snow, all that snow had to go....

Getting plowed out by our neighbors, Mike and Theresa on Christmas Day.

Christmas Morning 

Too much shoveling.

The ramp for the sled run.  It's going to be a dandy this year.

As the sun goes down on Christmas Day....