We are now in the countdown to Xmas and Miss Amy is very excited that there is only one more day to go. Our Australian friends are coming over tonight for drinks. They have just returned from 5 days in Aspen to find their apartment soaking wet and their furniture in the hallway. Apparently while they were away a water pipe broke due to the extreme cold, sounds more like exploded based on the extent of the damaged plaster on the opposite side of the room. The manager of the apartments was very disparaging in her remarks about the trouble they had caused, only to retract all of these statements after it happened to four other apartments as well. Apparently the word is if you go away during the winter you are to leave all taps dripping and the heater on a minimum of 65F. Now we know….

In the lead up to Xmas we went to a Parade of Lights in Louisville. Everyone lined the main street to watch marching bands, scout groups and various trucks lit up like Xmas trees roll by. It was cold but good fun. We also went to a Winter Wonderland party up in the mountains. It was a Sunday afternoon and it was snowing and absolutely freezing, but we had a great time. The one disadvantage of the cold is the amount of clothes you need to put on and then take off. You even need to have different shoes, the ones you wear in the snow and in the car and then when you get somewhere the shoes you wear indoors. It all takes time and the kids have been very tolerant with it all.

After one of our supermarket trips just prior to Xmas, when it was -22C, we were packing the groceries into the back of the car when a man walked out of the supermarket in a t-shirt, overalls and bare feet. I couldn't believe it, I initially thought he must be someone who lives on the street but then he got into a big pick-up truck. Anyway, Miss Amy saw him and of course at the top of her voice said, "mum, that lady is going to freeze" (this guy had long fluffy hair and she thought it was a woman). I quickly got her into the car before she could say anything else.