Yesterday morning it was about five below at eight, but by ten it had warmed to about 20 degrees. Sophie and I spent about two hours out on our back 27, or is it 28? No one is really sure of our exact acreage, but that's the size range. With my new saw, I cut down a number of small trees blocking the main trail and lugged them out of the way. I was careful not to overdo the sawing on my first day of trail grooming, so I'm ready for another go. I love snowshoeing out back and becoming acquainted with all the trees and the rises and dips on our land. Today, though, if I chop down anything, it had better be our Christmas tree. Do we have the strength to dig out our ornaments and lights? That's the real question. We're both so exhausted from the move. Our living room is still a disaster area, despite the fact I spent two hours trying to organize it yesterday. It's hard to be patient with such slow progress.

Christmas is upon us, and I'm not ready. That's not to say I'm ever really ready, but this year I'm terribly behind the season. Gifts are out there in postal space somewhere, and I'm glad no storm is predicted for the Northeast in the next 24 hours, so they'll arrive at the eleventh hour and not the thirteenth.