Greetings of the Season

So how much can you cram into December? Out this way, in Colorado, old Man Winter made his appearance in late summer and at least in the mountains has never let up. The Winter Solstice has only just arrived and I’m already looking forward to Spring which at the rate it’s going won’t get here until July. Usually in Colorado if you don’t like the weather people tell you to wait five minutes and it will change. This year in the High Country it’s more like wait five months.

Now, I’m a newby to Colorado having only been here since 1971 so granted what I know of Colorado weather would fit in a thimble which I guess is what it takes to be a weather prognosticator in these here parts, at least on television. But I’ve got to say I’ve never seen so much snow at our mountain cabin as I have this year. I mean deep - deep enough that I have to shovel to see the top of the chimney. Even my snowblower is booking a flight to Phoenix so I guess when it goes south I’ll have to follow.

I think this is the year of two miraculous events. The widespread adoption of ‘smart’ doorbells that allow you to stare for untold hours watching all the excitement on your front porch. And, seemingly by coincidence, the advent of that urban scourge - the porch pirate. Even though Amazon Prime offers free shipping I guess porch pirates just can’t wait the day or so it takes for the package to arrive so why not head next door and snag that tempting parcel sitting on your neighbor’s front porch. As a bonus you may end up on the local news captured by that ‘smart’ doorbell video. Don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d be all that entertained getting a ping from my doorbell only to see some fool abscond with all my Christmas Cheer. I will give kudos though to the creativity of the delivery drivers. They’ve found some spots to hide my packages so good even I have trouble finding them.

And how ‘bout a nice impeachment to add some holly to your jolly. It doesn’t matter which side of the issue you’re on but ‘Senate Trial’ just doesn’t have the same holiday ring as say, Chestnuts roasting over an open fire. Or Jack Frost nippin’ at your nose.

Up at the cabin we still have running water despite the snow and the cold. Lots and lots, and lots of running water. All in the form of a split pipe that didn’t want to wait for summer to be free. And good luck finding a plumber. All the Leadville plumbers are working in Eagle and Summit counties fixing the split pipes of those far more affluent than I so we had to coax a pipe fixer from down Buena Vista
way. Ethan, if you're reading this, you’re our Christmas Miracle. God Bless, and enjoy that Mexican vacation we financed for you.

The saying goes “If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough”. Can’t argue with that. So why not get out and enjoy the snow? If you’re brave enough to venture out on I-70 despite the avalanche and rock mitigation closures come on up! And kids, if by chance Santa and his sleigh are a tad late Christmas morning it’s because their stuck in the abyss just past Floyd Hill. We tried to drive up last Wednesday around noon time and found a nice parking spot along with thousands of other idgits (that’s my technical term for idiots cum laude) who thought that it would be safe to drive into the mountains in the middle of the week on a day with no weather issues. Thank God for CDOT, if it wasn’t for them posting to their website AFTER we were stuck that the highway was now closed and would remain so for hours we would have been clueless. I used to refer to I-70 as ‘Mountain NASCAR’ but the Colorado Highway Patrol nixed that fun by just shutting the whole thing down.

We eventually made it of course after a nice scenic detour by way of Bailey, Fairplay, and Buena Vista.  Fairplay’s grocery store has really grown with the times and is almost worth the long, long trip just to see it. Just sayin’.

Anyway, I hope you and yours are enjoying this time of giving as much as I am. This year its like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps giving and giving and giving. So Seasons Greetings. As the TV anchor lady succinctly put it, “...whatever you celebrate, celebrate!” Far be it for me to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Joyous Kwanzaa so I’ll just say Feliz Navidad, Bon Noel, Shastlivogo Rozhdestva along with something that I think is still politically correct, Happy New Year!

Lest we forget, please remember the reason for the season - it’s to allow your local plumber to spend January basking in the sun on some exotic beach. Ho, Ho, Ho!

Here's a video Christmas Card from our family to yours: