It only looks like Christmas

When I heard it was going to get down to 9° tonight I felt compelled to leave Alpine and head for the oasis to do some preparations for that extreme temperature. There were no tracks on the road after I left the blacktop, so I knew it wasn't good. With backing up and making tire-burning runs up the little arroyos, I made it as far as my big hill.

From there I took out everything that dare not freeze (mealworms, cameras, groceries, etc) and toted it all up the hill in 4 trips. Then I used my satellite phone to call my sister to come get me at the top of the hill. She comes from the other direction. What an ordeal! At least when all this snow melts I won't have to water for a couple of weeks.