12/30/25-1/2/26 I went up to Camp Serendipity for 4 days: Tuesday through Friday.

US 2 was still closed to traffic, so I drove to I-90 and Blewett Pass. Then I took the Chumstick north to Plain and from there to Lake Wenatchee. I arrived at 3:19 and found that my driveway had been nicely plowed by someone. There was about 6 inches of new snow over the old snow from last week and the temperature was 20 degrees.

I carried my gear up to the cabin in one trip and then hoisted the flag. I was happy to find that the phone was working so I called Ellen to let her know that I had arrived safely. Next, I unpacked my gear and fixed my dinner.

On Wednesday morning when I got up, the temperature outside was 18 degrees and there had been no new snow overnight. After practicing the piano, I went down to the truck and got the water jugs and brought them up to the cabin. Then I took a stout rope down to the pile of firewood rounds on the road that were covered with about a foot of old snow.

I was able to dislodge one of the rounds from the snow with my boot enough so that I could place a noose around the round. Then, not knowing what to expect, I pulled on the rope to see how the firewood round would respond. I was delighted to find that it was easy to pull the round out of the snow and up onto the packed trail I had made in the snow just carrying my gear up.

On the long end of the rope, I had tied a loose bowline that I used as a harness thinking I would need that to help me drag the round up the trail. I found that the loop just got in the way and it was much easier to just pull on the rope and walk up the trail. The noose around the round held tightly and the round just skimmed over the snow and up the trail with very little pulling effort by me.

That was a wonderful proof of concept proving that it will be easy to bring the firewood up to the cabin except for the usual limitations from my heart. But I overcome those limitations by persistence and going slow.

After lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave and on the way, I noticed that Frank Scoggins had been up there and had plowed off his driveways. I suspect it was he who had plowed mine.

I stopped in for a fairly long visit with John. He showed me the high-water marks on his camper, his truck, his A-frame, and the nearby trees. He showed me the damage to his foundation and the inside of his A-frame, and he told me about the experience of being rescued by boat by the Fire and Rescue team.

He is a plucky guy and is happily dealing with all the restoration projects that are facing him. He is staying with Byron and Barb until his place is livable again. He has also rented a truck that runs.

Back in the cabin, after I had eaten my dinner, I heard some loud explosions across the street. I looked over there and I could see that the neighbors were there on one of their rare visits, and they blew off some loud fireworks between 7:00 and 7:45. Then it was quiet for the rest of the evening. Even at midnight there were no more fireworks. I imagined that it was impatient kids that were responsible for blowing up all the fireworks early. I rang in the new year by sleeping through it.

On Thursday morning, New Years Day, the temperature outside was 18 degrees when I got up and there was about an inch of new snow. My electric heating system was trying but the ambient temperature inside the cabin was only up to 64 degrees. That was tolerable by wearing extra clothes, but I decided to light up the wood stove to make it more comfortable.

It was fun lighting the fire using my minimal method of making a bridge of ultra dry maple sticks over a pile of pistachio shells and then lighting the shells with a propane torch. The trick is to be able to sit back and watch the fire grow until all the firewood is burning. By that time, the ambient temperature is up to 70 degrees, and I take off my extra garments.

After practicing the piano, I watered Tiger and then filled and staged 10 water jugs. Then, after lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave. It was snowing lightly but I was wearing a Helly Hanson parka and the snow just bounced off.

Soon after I got started, Ron Sideritz stopped and we had a nice chat. I hadn't seen him for quite a while. He told me that he is now 94 years old. After that Byron and Barb stopped and told me about their New Year's Eve party at the Squirrel Tree. Finally, Karen Arnold stopped and chatted for a while.

Back in the cabin I started another small fire in the wood stove before taking my shower.

On Friday morning, the temperature when I got up was 20 degrees. There was about an inch of crusty new snow on the ground. I practiced the piano and then loaded the ten water jugs into the truck and scraped some of the snow off the windshield of the truck. Then I packed a peanut butter sandwich along with the rest of my gear in preparation for the long trip home. I left for home at 10:30 and followed the reverse route I had taken to get to the cabin. I headed for Plain, the Chumstick, Blewett, and I-90. What I didn't know was that US 2 had been opened three days ahead of the plan and I could have gone that way had I known. Oh, well I got home safely; that's what is important.