I'd say between eight to ten inches of snow fell yesterday; I'm so grateful we did not get the mix of rain, sleet, and snow that everyone south of here experienced. Snow is so much easier to deal with. I stayed inside all day and unpacked from morning til night. At the end of the day I was ready to scream at the top of my lungs. The boredom of the job is excruciating. Today I declare a day off from all that. Until eight last night we had no tv. I'm dying for some music, but our stereos are not set up. And can you believe I was too exhausted to dig out a radio?

This morning Sophie and I went for a walk down the road. We walked up the steep hill and the mountaintops closeby, to the west-northwest of us, were veiled in a dark mist of snow flurries. So beautiful.

I guess I'm going to have to keep Sophie on a leash when I walk by our neighbor's house. Seems they threw out a lot of chili into the snow across the street from their home, and guess who found it and wolfed it down? Oh, the joys of dog ownership--she's sure to be sick from it. Tomato sauce, onions, chili powder, and beans are not viable in a dog's digestive tract. It was the last thing I expected to find on the street, or I would have planned accordingly. I guess I've got a lot to learn about life around here. And not the things I was expecting. It makes sense in a way, though. People don't have garbage disposals, no trash pick-up, and to dispose of garbage and trash is a dollar a bag. That's why the previous owners of our house did not toss out their junk. At least that's what they told the realtor!

I really want to go snowshoeing, but I am too tired to gear up. All I want is some peace today and a chance to put my feet up. The outdoor adventures I'm eager to have will just have to wait until I regroup. I'm definitely going to crawl into bed this afternoon for a nap.