Sue and I just had a low key Thursday 12/31/20 New Year's Eve and Friday New Year's Day.

New Year's Eve Day, Sue and I took Beau and met up with Steve and Cathy up on Birch Hill in New Durham. The girls had decided that a hike along one of the snow mobile trails would be a great way to get together while keeping socially distanced.

It was a long hike: 2.7 miles and mostly a steep uphill climb to a cutout in the trail looking across the valley to the mountain ridge we live on. I'd been on the trails on Birch Hill before, but not this particular one. Sue suggested it because of the view, and so off we went.

Great view across the valley from Birch Hill looking over to the ridge where we live, actually just over the hill in the middle of the picture; the larger mountain just to the right is Prospect Mountain.

Because of the quick temperature changes from cold to warm, and then again to very cold, the snow had melted off so badly that most snow mobile trails in a huge area of New Hampshire had been closed. And it was cold! It was only on the way back down the hill that I got warmed up enough to unzip my jacket, and take my scarf off.

We finally received our gift from Marissa's family. She and Mia had made the snow globe, and it's just the cutest thing! Love it!

When we got back, I sort of helped Sue with her lasagna dinner prep work. She wanted to get it all made early so that it had time for the sauces to all mix. And, man, was it worth that wait! We had it with garlic bread, and the bottle of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay that I had opened earlier.

Sue got an early start making her special lasagna for our New Year's Eve dinner.

I had got a fire going in the wood stove early that afternoon, and so the house was very cozy despite the dropping temperatures outside. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine as we sat in the living room playing backgammon, and watching the fire until it was time for dinner.

Enjoying Sue's New Year's Eve lasagna dinner with some garlic bread, and a bottle of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon.

We watched a couple of movies until 11:30 pm when we switched over to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Strange sort of feeling because of the basically empty area other than about 300 essential workers who had been invited. Regardless of that, I can't believe that Sue and I actually stayed up to watch that crap....

Chuck sent this picture of him and Denise out for a quite dinner.

I was sooooo tired that I didn't get up New Year's Day until 9:00 am. Sue fixed a nice ham quiche for breakfast, and we enjoyed that with a hot cup of coffee. The plan for the morning was to take a couple mile hike up Sheepboro Road. Glad we did that today instead of Saturday because a heavy, wet snow and icy crust had formed overnight.

We parked the car by the gate just off Reservoir Road near the trail over to the dam. Sheepboro Road is a Class 6, unmaintained road, and you just never know how tough it's going to be. Last time we were here, the water was barely running over the dam. But now, it surged down the dam, and churned down the stream bringing its level over the banks.

Beau and me at the top of the dam at the start of our hike along Sheepboro Road.

Going in, Sheepboro Road is uphill. Not much, but after a mile or so: it's a lot. Well, for me anyway. The mile back was much better. We got back to the house, and just spent the day relaxing with a hot cup of coffee, though I did go on a mercy run for lunch subs down to the local general store.

Picture of Colin up in York, ME where he had stopped to see his grandfather, Tom.

Dinner was wonderful pot roast leftovers with a bottle of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay, which I really think is a nice, pleasant wine, despite it's deceptively reasonable low price.

It had been a long day, and so it was a relatively early shutdown for the evening.

As I mentioned, when we got up we found that a heavy, wet snow and icy crust had formed overnight. After breakfast, Sue geared up to take Beau for his walk so I put my boots on and went out to shovel. That was an ordeal as the snow, though only an inch or so, was all slush. Terrific.... Happy New Year on the mountain!