It was easy enough to fill up one of the large green trash cans yesterday with all the leaves I swept from the front porch and driveway.  But I was a little surprised that the dirt (and ensuing grass) I scraped free from the cracks and edge of the driveway where it collects ended up filling a 5-gallon bucket - twice!  At least all that dirt did come in handy to fill in some of the low spots in the yard.

Tom and Gary and Ritch left for Quartzsite this morning.  Each year there are fewer and fewer rock vendors there (and hardly any knappers any more) so each year Tom returns more disappointed and less enthused.  Maybe this will be his last schlep?

I did finally call Richard again yesterday; I'd given him over a week to get back to me after last Tuesday, when I called to check on progress and he said the hot tub element was to be delivered "any day" and he'd let me know; but he never did. Apparently the element has arrived - though he neglected to mention when - and he's supposed to be here mid-morning to install it.  But I'd heard that before, and then he'd cancelled - more than once.  

If I hadn't called yesterday, I'm wondering when (if?) I would have heard from him! Don't remember having these issues with him in previous years, but it could be time to look for someone new...  

I've already missed soaking the entire month of December, when it would have been quite wonderful to warm up to my core during all our rain and cold weather.  So it's no surprise that I am definitely looking forward to having my tub functional again.  Of course it will take at least a day to heat up... and tomorrow I leave for the weekend.  

While I waited for Richard to show up I've been mucking and puttering around this morning.  Assume everyone else is in the same boat, where there's never a shortage of things to do!

However, here it is not yet the appointed time of 10:30 and I heard him pull up in the side drive.  Haven't yet spoken with him - he seems to have bypassed the house and gone straight to work - but hope that when I do it will be to hear him say that everything is fine, and up and running!

Spoke to Alex around dinnertime last night, when he was still a couple of hundred miles short of his destination. Though their drive had been uneventful so far, the worrisome news was that there was weather reported to be moving in ahead of them.  By the time I went to bed they were still on the road, but when I turned on my phone this morning there was a text that he'd arrived safe and sound.  That was a relief, because between the possible bad driving conditions and all the IDIOTS on the road it was hard not to worry.  

Now just waiting to hear how "warm" it is there.  Yesterday he said the "high" today is expected to be 9 degrees - and of course this morning it mostly likely will be a tad nippier <g> up on the slopes.  Better him than me!