Oh Look, It's snowing again.... wait!!!

I know... it's a small miracle, but it looks like the snow is finally melting!!!  Thank goodness!  I have a livingroom full of building materials that I really would like to clear out!!!  It's been too long!

As you can see, the five foot pile of snow on the deck has melted - although, we have been told that there is still about 1.5 feet of snow on the back deck.  The jacuzzi is showing itself again, thank goodness... But, we are not quite ready to fill it and get in.

We didn't have anything collapse over the winter, even thought there were many cabins in the Duck Creek area, just up the road, that had cabins and decks collapse with the heavy snow fall.  I guess we built a really strong deck!

 

Up until this point, I thought I was going to have to drink to drown my sorrows.. BUT, it seems there is a little light at the end of the snow packed tunnel!!!  

I have a nephew who is getting married the beginning of May and my 2nd brother and his wife are wanting to come visit the cabin and check it out... I have warned them that we have snow and we've been a little wary of the roads...  But, here's hoping.  And, here's my funny...  My brother called to book a motel room in Panguitch for a night, and then decided he wanted two nights.  He asked me to confirm that the motel got the information correct... there was a little language barrier, so I called the next day to make sure they got the booking correct... When I called, I told the booking agent who I was and the immediate response was, "Oh, Mrs. Jim... how are you?"  I swear, I don't think anybody knows my first name... But, I told them what I wanted, and, they started the conversation with, " yes, we have a booking for a Spenkler (insert all 26 letters of the alphabet in here) hoffen? I have heard our last name slaughtered so much in my lifetime, it amuses me at this point.  Spiderhoff is my favourite.  But, I started to laugh when they said, "The first name is... Bairtone".  Oh, ya... that's him... They said they had never heard that name before, and I told them that it must be a Canadian thing because I've heard it all my life...  Giggle. But, I am looking forward to seeing family again.

We were planning on taking a trip to Canada this year, and I applied to have my green card renewed last December.  Well, the post office tried to deliver the card the middle of December, but said we didn't have a mail box - you know, the mail box that we have at the end of our driveway that's been there for the last 17 years... ya, that one... It was supposed to be redelivered to the house the next day, but somewhere between our house and the post office, it got lost.  I have applied three times to have the card remade, but Immigration and Naturalization won't reissue until the old card is returned by the post office...  So, I'm kind of stuck until they figure out what to do... Being that the card is expensive, I am not willing to spent a whole lot of money a 2nd time when it wasn't my fault.

I have continued to purchase rocks for my outside shower grotto... We've probably collected 100 different rocks now - and they are nicely stored in boxes in our carport.  This is one of the rocks I purchased... I love it.

We celebrated our 16th anniversary at the end of April, and Jim always comes up with interesting gifts.  This year, he bought me Canadian silver dollars, one ounce pieces.  I love them...

We have this standing joke between the two of us... Jim knows that I am terrible at directions - it's like that part of my brain just isn't there and I give directions usually by a business location that is close to the place we need to go.  When we were first married, I was trying to explain to Jim where I needed him to go and pick something up.  And, I told him to go up the hill on University Parkway, and turn a left at the Honey Baked Ham store.  I remember, there was this pause in this sentence, and then I heard him say, "The Honey Baked Ham store.....?"  Made perfect sense to me... so, now, whenever I am about to give him directions, he makes a crack about the Honey Baked Ham store...  uhuh... Well Jim called me on our anniversary as he was driving home and mentioned he just went by the Honey Baked Ham store.  Ha, Ha,. . .I came home from work expecting to go out to dinner, and there on the counter was... food from the, you guessed it - The Honey Baked Ham store.  It was perfect!... One, I will never forget...  

We've purchased the last stove pipe sections for the wood burning stove... and, the price of the pieces that we needed have doubled from last fall to this spring.  Jim was expecting to pay about $250.00 for the two parts..... instead it cost $500.00. We know that prices have increased, but this was crazy.  We were planning on putting in the stove pipe for the wood burning stove as one of our first projects this spring.... that, and putting the railings and balusters around the deck....  We are anticipating the grandchildren from Alaska will come and visit this summer, and that 20' plunge around the deck would not be good.  Coy is kind of used to running around the deck, but we feel we need to be safe with a whole herd of grandkids around.

We're just excited in anticipating getting back to work.. and, clearing out my living room/warehouse.

The adventure is coming out of pause zone, and we are continuing..

Love, Jim and Cheri

Man plans, God laughs....