happy new year!

the most direct route to fairfield was closed due to a snow slide, so we went up the long way on friday- about 1 hour longer, but it was a pretty drive,

and an incredible sunset

we got to fairfield, steve plowed the driveway & i did laundry, cleaned the bathroom & put new sheets on the extra bed in prepartion for friends joining us on saturday. then to the imi for a salad bar & a bit of football.

beautiful pink & blue sunrise on saturday. unfortunately i wasn't set up to get very good shots.

i am now though! wonder what the neighbors thought about me shoveling out this path to the back of the property. but now i can get in better postition to shoot sunrise & sunsets.

here's the snow that accumulated on the jeep overnight

the other project was hanging more photos. the wall is coming along.

Steve & Elena showed up around noon and after a bite to eat we headed out to soldier mountain. the ski resort isn't open yet, but there were plenty of people there to snowshoe, cross country and back country ski.

the steves headed up the hill to find a place to make some turns & elena the dogs & i headed off to the forest service road to snowshow.

it was a beautiful day- warm, sunny, blue skies. the snow was so light that you would sink all the way down if you got off track, as halle discovered below.

the dogs both love snow & had a grand romp. booties make life much easier for echo.

we had dinner & played some cards & drank some vino, laughed and had a nice evening. after breakfast steve & elena headed out, i hit the couch with my kindle & steve finished up a few things.

clearing snow off the storage shed & the porch roof.

checking the snowmobile, which did sputter & die, but is hopefully an easy fix.

there's been plenty of snowmobile activity in the field behind the house.

it was a beautiful day- great to be up playing in the snow in our snug house.

happy 2010! i'm sure that steve will post photos from the ski adventure too.