SNOW and Marriage, and lots of scenic pictures

S.N.O.W…SNOW…Snow… "Sleep Not On Wrath".  When my partner and I held our reception in celebration of our commitment to one another’s life together, one of the gifts received was a simple little teddy bear name the Snow Bear. It serves as a reminder never to go to sleep angry.  So its a mantra that has stuck in my head over the course of our 12 years being together.

As I sit here at the ranch immersed with a fresh 3 inches of snow all around I am reminded of that saying.  Just when you think you are in the clear, with maybe what was left melting away, we start into another round.  However, instead of seeing it as an obstacle, becoming wrathful of a nuisance placed on one’s path, it is like a fresh coating of paint: refreshing and bright, uplifting even. The scenery becomes pleasant and calm, sounds are even muffled. I guess we can all chose the way we respond to what crosses our path.  Like the saying: Sleep Not On Wrath.  It’s my choice how to respond.

A shiny example of this is our friends and neighbors, Jim and Rich.  Here is a couple that have moved up here a few years ago when Jim sold his business due to health reasons, bought a house up here and were starting to really invest in remodeling it.  Since then, they’ve had to deal with a major river flood severely damaging their house, destroying their car, and even whisking away their hot tub (which was later featured as an international news item).  Tack on to that foot surgery, and problems with the contractor hired to fix the house and many people would truly be at wits end.  I took the picture from inside Jim’s truck with him driving.  Rich is in the passenger seat of the other car with another friend going to see the house we were just coming from.

They are currently living in their RV 5th-wheel trailer on our property so that they can have access to our restroom/shower facilities and hot water; a very difficult way to get through winter in the mountains; all while still building their house.  They have a lot on their shoulders.  However, it’s the choices they make in how to deal with all this seeming adversity thrown on their path.  They remain ever optimistic and try to practice "The Secret" (best to Google that one…) optimizing their outlook on life.

I went with Jim up the road 5 miles to his house today. I helped him with a small task creating some more temporary shelving in the garage so that they can move all their stuff out of the storage units they are currently renting in town. 

Along the way I took pictures of this beautiful sunny day where everything was covered with a fresh snow. I hope you enjoy the tour up the road; round trip, of course. 

Before all that, I sauntered down to visit the llamas with the dogs, Shadow and Maximo.  Llamas are very playful and when something new is brought in to their environment they get happy and excited.  Mucho, the youngest llama, bounces around with a sudden springiness and tosses his head in shear joy.  Playtime!  I caught a good video clip of the playfulness and even Uber and Yago with a chest butt. 

We ended the day spending time with another couple, our neighbor’s Jack and Gayle.  We had a mini-seafood festival!  Glenn made his famous seafood chowder and I made Italian fish cakes.  We had such a great time eating and playing the game Rummikub, which is this little Rummy tile game that’s a lot of fun.  They too have an outlook on life that is refreshing and wonderful to be around.  So, all around a simply fabulous day here at the ranch surrounded by warm and inviting individuals, great scenery, powdery snow, and yummy food.  SNOW…