12/20-22/05 Andrew and I went up to the property for 3 days: Tuesday through Thursday.

On the way up, we stopped and visited with Marilyn, George, Sydney, and Tyler. We ate some of their home-made ice cream. There was a lot of snow and slush on the road from the pass to the property. We stopped at the ski shop and the ranger station to ask about facilities for when the scouts visit. Both of them were closed and it looked as if they were closed for good. We stopped at Dickinsons and gave them some Christmas jam. I asked Mike's wife if he could plow enough of my driveway to get a schoolbus in there the morning of January 21. I was parked on their very steep driveway which was covered with ice. While I was talking, the pickup started sliding down the hill. I hopped in and backed it into a safer spot.

Next, we stopped at Earl's and gave him some jam. He gave us some roasted walnuts and said they were leaving for the south after the first of the year. From there, we went to Larry's and then to Tutinos and delivered jam. Andrew used up all the dog biscuits we had with all the dogs at each place we stopped. Bert and Ernie got the last of them.

We got to the property at 2:10 and with a running start, I was able to drive all the way up to the trailer. There was about 3 or 4 inches of very crusty snow on the ground. Earl said that they had had an ice storm just that morning.

After we moved in, Andrew did some sledding and then we played quite a bit of chess. Now that he has beaten me a few times, he is eager to play. We went back out and Andrew sledded some more. Then we moved some things off the porch so it will be ready for the scouts. Finally, we went in for dinner and a lot more chess.

On Wednesday, I sanded the D2 PSL and the Grid D purlin while Andrew vacuumed. We got them both ready for varnish. Then Andrew swept the porch.

The temperature was hovering right around 32 degrees, so the snow on the cabin roof started slowly sliding off. Andrew and I stood and watched it slide for over an hour making bets on which panel would empty its snow load first. It was interesting to watch because it was really unpredictable.

After lunch, Andrew did some more sledding and I cut up the top of a fallen tree that was lying opposite the rock pile. Later on, we played a lot more chess. Andrew is getting harder and harder to beat.

On Thursday morning, there was about an inch of new snow. I varnished the PSL and the purlin and we left for home at 10:40. The roads were pretty treacherous going back. At one point, a car coming down the hill toward us was spinning in circles just before it passed us. Andrew looked back and said it had hit a snowbank and then bounced up against the rock cliff and bashed out its windows.