We're dreaming of a "green Christmas" just like the ones we used to know!

Our first snow
and it snowed again the next day

and the next day

still snowing!

and still snowing

One day of sunshine and it is snowing again today

Everyone says this is just the beginning so get ready for more.

We are pretty much settled in here and are continuing to learn our way around. Driving in the snow is a different experience for us but Hal is doing well with my instructions from the passenger seat. I am sure that he is getting tired of me telling him to slow down. Last night we were invited to dinner at a ranch house north of town. That was a bit of an adventure driving out there. It was a really beautiful drive but on a dirt road so now I know why all of the cars around here are so dirty. Ours had stayed clean until last night.

We have been getting acquainted by trying to attend a few community events. We went to a Christmas boutique at the Lutheren church and met some very nice people. It was one of those boutiques that not very many people were in attendance and so we felt like we had to buy something but couldn't find anything that we wanted. We did finally see a cute metal star Christmas ornament and some cookies so we didn't look like total losers when we left.

The downtown shops are very fun to go through and since Hal is in a suit and me in a skirt we really stand out in the crowds. A couple of the merchants told us that we are really over dressed for Steamboat. Everyone is casual here. Oh well we are certainly making our presence known.

For a couple of days we spent time at the hospital with a young man named Alberto. His appendix burst and he didn't get to the hospital until it was almost too late. He was a very sick young man and has suffered some brain damage due to the incident. He was very agitated and the hospital staff was having a hard time keeping him calm and getting him to eat so they were asking people to come and sit with him. We finally got him to eat a little night before last. He was afraid to eat because he thought that it was food that made him sick. He doesn't speak much english and we speak very little (like none) spanish so it was fun to try to communicate with him.

We are still trying to figure out what to do on these cold snowy days but I'm sure that will come with time and as we get used to the weather. We kind of feel like we aren't doing enough yet.

We would love to hear from any and all of you. Our email address is hfl@garlic.com that seems to be the easiest form of communication these days.