November 25
Over the weekend, Far West Texas experienced its first bit of winter: an ice storm. Freezing rain turned to sleet and the sleet turned to solid ice on the ground. Later, it actually snowed, but the ice was there first. Treacherous stuff. Homes in subdivisions outside Alpine suffered power outages, as did Marfa and Fort Davis. We had a short brown-out at my rental house but nothing very serious. There is no power on the mountain though, so now I know what to expect once I am living up there.
I am pleased to report that the interior of the new house maintained its stable temperature throughout all of the icy excitement, so the lack of power, while an inconvenience, is not too threatening. Those kivas will come in handy, no doubt!
And the “backyard” is gorgeous, all covered in snow and ice…
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- The clouds are moving away. Really.
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- Dirt IS prettier when covered by snow…
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- These are now Ice Water Tanks!
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- Miniature skating rink
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- The bancos are done!
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- A gate will go here once the ice has melted…
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- These materials are fortunately impervious to the elements.
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- Remember the Dirt Pile? Now it is the Fort Krevit Mountain Range.
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- Outpost Bella
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- Some backyard, eh?
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- The cloud banks form a mountain range mirage…
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- The blue sky is winning…
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- Desert mountains in winter.
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- Inside, it is nice and toasty and there are kitchen cabinet doors!
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- Arnold the master has been hard at work.
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- These handmade beauties will last forever.
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- Progress on the electrical front–although there is no power at the moment!
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- Backyard view from the Living Room door…
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- The color we are trying to match is the tile on the right…
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- In the garage, I discover salt cedars.
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- Two kitchen cabinet doors are ready.
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- I love these!
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- Outside again, there is ice everywhere.
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- The house is covered in ice but inside it is warm, even without power…
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- Ice-bound Earth Mover
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- We should make Snow Cones!
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- Living on the mountain will be a challenge sometimes…
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- But the house is built to “weather any storm”!
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- It is just fine…
Wow! Winter has arrived–very dramatically. Good to know that you have a nice solid shelter to protect you in all weather. It’s looking beautiful. Happy Thanksgiving!