Mouse trap line: 14

Snowfall: 51.25” (4.27’)

Hello again!

Notice the snowfall amount above? We got bombed over the weekend! In fact, we’ve gotten over 37” in the last couple of weeks and are expecting another 1-2 feet later this week. We are so excited! Not only do we need the moisture going into the next summer to prevent wildfires, but this also allows us to grab our snow machines and head into town for supplies. We’ve not been to town for three months. I know, it sounds crazy but we really don’t mind it. We stay pretty stocked up. I guess you really do have to be a little nuts to live out in the woods like we do...

So remember right before the end of the year I promised we would have some big news?? WE HAVE NEW NEIGHBORS! Meet Alex & Michelle..

They bought a place about a quarter mile from us and moved up from Tennessee. They’ve had some challenges (haven’t we all??) and have moved into our spare cabin for a bit while they work on fixing up their cabin. We are grateful for the company, let me tell ya! Oh, and they came with a new playmate for Huck… Meet Tramp…

They’ve only been here two weeks and the two of them are inseparable! Apparently, they each pine for the other one when they are stuck in their respective cabins….

We were glad to have our new neighbors to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us. We had tasty appetizers and a bonfire…

We’ve also been going through some crazy, frigid cold weather and using a LOT of fuel to stay warm this year. Frankly, it’s not usually quite so cold until January/February or so but our big generator went through an entire 55 gallon drum of diesel in less than a week in December! We have a couple of different sources where we can order fuel by the drum and get the railroad to deliver it to the bottom of our hill. Then last year Kevin had a friend of ours (Thanks John at Cajun Flame!) make a custom sled that you can slide the drum onto vertically, then use a crank to lay it down horizontally so you can sled it anywhere. It’s awesome and so much easier on our backs! The hitch was at a weird angle which wasn’t a big deal until this year when we’ve had to move extra barrels of fuel. So Kevin got a big bolt, forged it in the wood stove, then connected it to the hitch and it works great!

Someday he hopes to have a real forge for making things, but in the meantime, he makes it work!

Well, that’s about all for now so I’ll sign off. Feel free to send messages or make comments below in the “comments” section. Would love to hear from you and know if anyone out there is listening. Until next time….stay wild!

Happy New Year!

Reflections on 2025