That may have been the end of Summer. Fall, apparently, doesn't get a lot of play on Mailbox because this week we're firmly in the grip of Winter. The snow wasn't deep, but it was plenty cold. The epic winds that were forecast never materialized, but we had six inches of snow for Treen to play in and just enough to land me on my bum a couple of times on the way down.

From here on, the weather will only get worse or better, depending on your perspective. I'm looking forward to the day when the rocks and roots are covered in snow that we can kick steps in. Forget the trail, we'll draw a straight line to the summit.

Until then, we'll just have to plod through the mud and rain and ice and snow. Maybe we'll get a day or two of sun, too, but I'm not counting on it. At least not until May.