it's currently 56 degrees outside today! brrr! it's been very cold this whole weekend. but it's supposed to warm up again later this week.

we spent saturday up in the mountains, just outside bailey, at W's friend's cabin. this place was way cooler than i expected. it's kinda like a co-op i guess, with about 200 acres of natural forest that's protected. i don't know how many ppl actually own parts of it, but D's family bought it back when he was only 5 years old. the cabin itself is pretty small, maybe 600 sq. ft. or so, but it sits on just under 3 acres. the backyard is forest, and the front yard is a little stream/river. it's private property, so only the ppl that live there are allowed in the gates. the river goes on and on for miles, and all of it is community property for everyone to enjoy. there are common areas where the owners get together to decide what to do with it or how to improve it. it's pretty neat. we just walked along the river, had lunch, climbed up to the old gold mine (there were a bunch along the trail), and just enjoyed the sights. there used to be railroad tracks that ran along the river, and you can still see parts of it, old wood boards and metal stakes that used to hold the rail down, and coal along the trail. D and his twin brother spent a lot of time there as kids and D told us a lot of the history and events that took place over the years. it was cool to see the trees turning too. being there really made me want my own mountain house next to a river! maybe someday.