Memphis Democrat
January 13, 2005

We got back just in time for the ice storm. It was awful to drive in but the result was a beautiful thing to wake up to and live with for several days. It also gave us the opportunity to ponder the pros and cons of solar electricity. We heard that many of our neighbors lost their power during the storm. Since our units are self-contained, we had no interruption of service. However, the grey, sunless days following the storm made our reserves run low and many of us had to ration our power usage.

The ice and snow allowed folks to get out and do a little sledding. There wasn't much snow but the ice really reduced the friction and people were flying fast and furious. Those of us who stayed inside were just glad to see everyone come back intact.

Unfortunately, I didn't get back in time for the New Year's Eve party that Chad and Alyson hosted at their trailer. By the way, they just got a puppy they found in the NEMO Trader. Renee over at Sandhill also got a new puppy, named Coal. Watching the puppies play was so much fun even our adult dogs, Maya and Isis, jumped into the fray.

It's nice to see people trickle in from their holiday journeys. Ted and Sara got back from visiting their families out east just before we returned. Then Dan came back from visiting his family out west. And Nicole returned from a family vacation in Hawaii, where she was subjected to the torture of beaches and fresh pineapple. We all feel sorry for her. Also, our friends Chris, Jess and Skyler came up to visit with us from Columbia. They must really like us, because they came despite the icy roads and spent a few nice long days with us. Skyler is two and he is very popular around here. I'm not sure if it is because he is so great or because people are starved for time with kids. I'm guessing it is both.

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