Last night it was just cold enough to snow and not too cold not to. That is the fine balance of things here. We sit so high that our temperatures drop too low for much snow. But last night at 32˚F, a good snow fell. 
I have been off the blog for some time and Keith and I keep saying how fast time has been going since we arrived back in August. I guess that is my excuse, I have been part of time whizzing by. Now winter is enshrouding us and there is more indoor time, hence time for blogging. Maybe I have become just a little bit more of a Montanan, if the sun shines, I have been outside. These last few months have provided an extended summer, even the first week of November I went hiking with short sleeves and shorts! Now that it is the first week of December, I go hiking with 4 layers of clothing, not including underwear which would make it 5. It takes a lot of time to put all those layers on and additionally to take those layers off. Generally, it requires a herculean effort to get outside, which I plan on doing this morning because someone needs to take the dog out and I might as well get a walk in while she is doing her thing. 
Keith shot his first buck (mule deer), which he said was somewhat of a humbling experience. When you go out in the woods to get your own meat and you come face to face with what you will eventually eat, it does make you grateful for the giving of life so you can be well fed. Now I must learn how to cook venison. I believe we will be eating a lot of chili this winter. One could do worse.
A moose walked through our yard last month, just out for a walk enjoying the sunshine. We have seen a lot more moose up close this fall. Even Keith’s parents got to see a bull, cow, and calf on Maude S. Trail. I came around a corner up in the aspens near the top of the trail and the old bull was within spitting distance. We had a staring, don’t move a muscle contest, before he gave up and wandered up the trail. I had Lucy with me and he kept watching us as we hiked and I watched him back. There is a moose at the golf course behind my house. I saw her when I skied there last week. So it turns out seeing a moose maybe isn’t that big of a deal. Or at least now it isn’t, since I am from Montana.
Being from Montana, Keith and I decided to cut down our own Christmas tree. The very first we have ever had. Here are the pictures to prove our fortitude and determination.
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| Heading out to find tree. 0 degrees F. |
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| Our tree in its natural glory. Lucy likes it. |
