Driving in a Winter Wonderland

Today we woke up to ice. It's 7 degrees outside here in Victor, ID. Thank goodness we followed the Boy Scout motto to "Be Prepared" and bought ice melt for the driveway and chains for the tires! It snowed yesterday so we spent the better part of the morning shoveling to make sure it was as clear as possible for today. Our hard work paid off and the driveway is still clear and dry.  Because today was our original departure date, and it seems to be the only window in a series of snow storms here in the Grand Tetons, it's now or never!

The valley below our house

The trailer before we shoveled

We all pitched in!

A job well done

Both the house in Alaska, and the house here, have these grates outside the front door. It's for getting the snow off your shoes and letting it melt in the dirt below instead of tracking it in the house. The dogs hate it. Like the pajama pants? ;-)

Dealing with freezing temps brings on a new series of things to consider. For example, how did the glass jar of jam I packed in the trailer yesterday fare in the deep freeze? Am I going to have to deal with a shattered mess of glass when I get out there? How will the car handle the icy roads with the added weight of the loaded trailer? Did we bring enough blankets for the chilly RV park overnights until we reach AZ? Things like that.

I have time to write this short update because we've decided to wait until the sun is completely out and it warms up a smidge before leaving. We'll head out around 10am mountain time and will probably be in Utah tonight. Next time I post, we'll be all settled in at the new house in Sedona, Arizona! Until then, it's so long, Idaho (or more accurately where we've been, Driggtor, Wydaho)! Thanks for the memories! And a very special thank you to the family who runs Daydreams Espresso for the best chai, breakfast burritos, and muffins around! Keep spreading the good news! :-)

Have a fantastic week!

- Jen