Merry Christmas from Montana to you, wherever you are

It is so nice to be in the mountains for Christmas. The coldest weather seems to have passed for awhile. Today it is 22 degrees, which is very comfortable. It is snowing lightly. We are wrapped in a blanket of cloud and snow, and it feels like we have the whole magical snowy world to ourselves.
During the very cold weather (most of last week it was below minus 20), I spent most days baking cookies and making candy. Not only did that keep me inside where I wouldn't freeze, but it meant that I kept the wood cookstove roaring all the time, which helped keep the house warm. It is challenging keeping the wood-fired stove at a consistent temperature for baking, but I'm getting pretty good at it. Making fudge at this altitude was another challenge, but I think I have the hang of it now.
Yesterday, we took all those goodies and made up little gift boxes. Then Tom and I loaded up the snowmobile and drove around to the neighbors' houses delivering gift boxes of sweets and introducing ourselves to those we haven't met yet, and visiting those we already knew. We did not get to them all. A few people weren't home, and we ran out of time and didn't get to many houses down on the creek below.

We did get a chance to introduce ourselves to Sterling and Barbara, who were friends with Doug and Nancy. When we came to the door with the cookies, I said my name was Linda and Barbara said, "Oh, you're the one who bought the cabin from Doug and Nancy!" Apparently, she follows their blog about their adventures in France and Moab, and recently, a history of their building this cabin. She has seen my comments on their blog and occasional references to me in their musings about the cabin, so she was looking forward to meeting me. The electronic world is so strangely intimate and isolating at the same time. It does feel like Doug and Nancy are still a part of this place because we have that contact. Anyway, we spent a couple of hours with Sterling and Barb. We found we have many things in common and we are sure they will be good friends. I especially appreciated it that she is the only person besides me I've ever met who puts hot chili pepper (just a pinch!) and chocolate and other spices in coffee to make a warm-up dessert-style drink. Yum!

We really enjoyed all the neighbors we met. At the very top of the road (with the snowplow that keeps the main part of the road clear) there is a really wonderful young family who bought the house up there from a guy that everybody in the neighborhood agreed was not missed one bit. So, although we had heard we had at least one neighbor who wasn't very pleasant, he is now gone, and we found everyone warm and friendly and very likable. I think that because it is sort of hard to get around, everyone mostly keeps to themselves, but they all seemed really happy to have visitors, and I think we have a great little community up here. We visited the house of the fellow who had the car crash, and met his daughter and granddaughters, but he was off at work, so we did not get a chance to see him. His daughter reports that he is pretty much recovered, just a little stiff and sore from the whiplash. As I said, he is plenty tough.
This evening we will probably take the last few boxes a little farther down Orea creek road. I wish I had enough boxes to get to everyone, but maybe we'll just stop by a few of them without an excuse one of these days. It is good to know who your neighbors are. Especially up here where you might need them one of these days.

We are staying home for Christmas and New Years, snug in the snow. It is the first year in a long, long time that we haven't traveled at all during the holidays, and it is quite a relief after all the driving we did this summer and fall. My touchy back chose the day before my birthday last Monday to go out of whack again, so I am now taking it easy and not willing to travel farther than Livingston for awhile. I'm just enjoying being here, and as much as I love visiting family at the holidays, it is quite a treat to be able to stay here in our mountain redoubt and just relax and enjoy the snow.

I have not mailed my Christmas cards yet, but I have them almost all written. They'll just have to arrive at New Year's instead of Christmas. For those of you who follow this blog, there isn't much news in them, so I'll just take this opportunity to wish you all the warmest and most wonderful holidays ever. I'll be thinking of all of you, family and friends, and being grateful for all the wonderful people in my life.