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This is the beginning of one of the middle books of the Eagle's Aerie series.
CHAPTER ONE
Sunday morning Greg decided to go into Montrose for breakfast at the Rose cafe. That proved to be a mistake, because he spent the entire time answering questions about the students vandalizing his place. He got plenty of sympathy, but plenty of questions about why he didn’t get home until the next day. He escaped as soon as he was able to, and returned home. He got out his cross country skis when he got home and headed for the woods. Getting out in the woods always relaxed him and calmed him down. Besides, it was good exercise. Exercise was something he forgot about when he got involved in painting, writing or other sedentary occupations during winter. He got back home just as it was starting to get dark. He fixed himself a leisurely dinner, built a fire in the fireplace and sat down to catch up on some of his reading. Within an hour, he found himself dozing. He made a check of the house, set the security system and went to bed.
He didn’t wake until his alarm went off at his usual six a.m. He took a shower, then went out into the kitchen to fix breakfast. About that time, a car drove into the yard. It was Celeste Drewman. Greg went to the door to welcome her in.
“Am I too late for breakfast?”
“Actually, you’re right on time. I was about to fix some. But what brings you out here on a bright Monday morning?”
“A real far out idea, about which you can tell me forget it,” said Celeste.
“Not until I hear what the idea is. But let’s have breakfast first. I think better when I’m not hungry.”
Greg fixed the breakfast and Celeste set dishes and silverware on the table in the kitchen. Then they sat down to eat. When they finished, they cleared everything away and sat down at the table again with a pot of coffee.
“Okay,” said Greg, “Hit me with your idea.”
“I have an advanced class in sculpture,” began Celeste, “and I thought it would be a great idea to try ice sculpturing. But I have no good place to do that. If we did it on the campus outside, some of them might be damaged.”
“So you thought, Greg has a lot of space in his yard, where they wouldn’t melt and no one would bother them,” Greg finished the thought for Celeste.
“But, I haven’t worked the rest of the problems out. Oh, I can arrange for big blocks of ice, and get them moved out here.”
“And I have a sled and a snowmobile that could be used to move the ice blocks to various strategic points in the gardens where they would be undisturbed,” added Greg.
“I suppose I could get an RV moved in so they could have some place to get warm,” continued Celeste.
“There would be no need for that,” interrupted Greg, “How many students in this class? When would they be working on the sculpting? How long would you give them?”
“Well, there are seven students in the class. We could move the blocks out here on a Friday and have them start Friday afternoon. Then they would have Saturday and Sunday and I think I can arrange to get them the following Monday off to work on them. They would do miniature wax sculptures of their work first from which to work. They might need another Saturday and Sunday to finish up, but that wouldn’t have to be consecutive weekends. But that would have people running all over your place on two weekends. That would be too much. I guess that wasn’t such a great idea after all,” lamented Celeste.
“Wait a minute,” said Greg, “let’s not be abandoning it before we thoroughly think this out. When were you figuring on doing this.”
“Well I thought the last weekend in January or the first weekend in February would be ideal. That is traditionally a cold couple of weeks.”
“That would be plenty of time to block out that time. You don’t need anyplace for them to get warm. There’s a big warm house already here.”
“But I’m not going to have students running in and out of your house messing it up.”
“I’ll show you what my idea on that is,” said Greg as he motioned Celeste to follow him toward the door from the kitchen leading into the stairway to his studio and also into a room attached to the garage.
“As you can see, they could come in this door next to the garage, into this room, which is heated, and has hooks for hanging jackets and a bench to sit down and take off boots. There is plenty of room for seven jackets and seven pairs of boots. And as you saw, there is kind of a mud room before you come out onto the kitchen. We could have hot chocolate and hot apple cider to warm them up.”
“Oh I didn’t mean for you to have any work in this.”
“I suspect you would be here along with the students, wouldn’t you?” said Greg.
“Well, of course. I wouldn’t just turn them loose on something like this,” said Celeste.
“Good, then I can just sit and drink hot chocolate and let you work. You know your way around this kitchen now. I’d invite you to stay over the weekend, but I don’t think Mark would look very kindly on that idea,” said Greg with a laugh.
“You mean you don’t think Mark would trust me alone with you?” asked Celeste with a smile.
“Oh, I’m sure Mark trusts you, but I’m not sure he would trust me under that situation.”
“Oh, Greg, I’m sure Mark trusts you, but that wouldn’t be necessary. We don’t live that far from your place anymore.” Then Celeste looked thoughtfully at Greg for a moment. “You really would give up a weekend or two of your freedom for something like this, wouldn’t you. Because, that is essentially what it would mean, now that I think it through. I really shouldn’t have asked that of you.”
“Hey, don’t I have a voice in this. I think it sounds like fun,” said Greg enthusiastically, “That would be easy to work around.”
“You mean it wouldn’t put a crimp in your love life?” asked Celeste with a grin, then she added, “Oh, and no fair charming my women students.”
“Scout’s honor. I’ll be good.”
“You’ll tear up all the phone numbers they will hide in places around your kitchen?”
“Oh, now that’s asking an awful lot. How many of those students are women?”
“Five of them.” answered Celeste.
“In that case, there’s safety in numbers. I wouldn’t know whose phone number was who’s.” Celeste began to laugh at that comment.
“Why don’t you plan it out and let me know. It sounds kind of fun. Maybe Mark can come out part of the time and protect me from all the women,” said Greg.
“Since when did you ever ask for protection from women,” said Celeste with disbelief. Greg didn’t answer. Mark, he thought, had very good taste. He liked Celeste, and of course he and Mark had been good friends for several years. Celeste gathered up her things and promised to get back to Greg soon on this project. Greg said he would block those weekends and make sure no plans were made for them until he heard from Celeste.
After Celeste had gone, Greg got a call from Janie Dunton.
“How about lunch on Thursday, Greg. There’s a nice cafe just a short distance from our office that just opened. People say it has good food. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I’d like to.”
“Sounds good to me. Shall I pick you up at the office, or meet you at the cafe?” Greg asked, letting Janie have her choice.
“Why don’t I meet you at the cafe.” Janie gave Greg the location of the place. They decided on a time, and Greg said he would see her on Thursday.
One thing, thought Greg, all these luncheon dates were getting him away from the house. He spent the rest of the day writing on his mystery novel, which was very close to being finished. Greg didn’t have any set timetables on either his paintings or his writing, so interruptions were no problem.
Tuesday dawned cold, breezy and cloudy, but no snow was predicted. Greg just puttered around the house until it was time to go into Barton to meet Christy for lunch. He always got the stares when he was somewhere with Christy. Being blonde, cute and bouncy, Christy looked younger than she really was. In fact most people still figured she was in her middle twenties. It kind of tickled him, because he not only knew how old she was but also that she was a lot more knowledgeable and streetwise than anyone thought. He had liked Christy from the time that he met her. He hoped her upcoming marriage to Andy Wirrens would be a very successful and happy one.
Even though Greg had gotten to the cafe a little early, Christy was already there. She greeted him with a hug and a kiss.
“Won’t Andy be jealous, if you go around kissing other men?” asked Greg with a smile.
“I only go around kissing one other man, and Andy knows all about us,” smiled Christy. “and in spite of that he likes you and has no objections to my occasionally having lunch with you.”
“I’m really glad of that because I’d really hate to have to give up a friend like you for fear of making her husband jealous.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that at all. Now what’s doing at Shangri-La since the holiday season is past. Oh, and when are we going to schedule another get-together.”
About that time the hostess escorted them to a table and they started to look over the menu. They ordered and then Greg leaned over and said quietly,
“It always tickles me to walk into a restaurant with you. I get such stares.”
“Because I’m so cute?”
“And because you look like you’re twenty-something.”
“Flatterer,” laughed Christy, “and even when you know my heart belongs to another man. But, you didn’t answer my question.”
“Jim and Joan were wondering when, also, but I haven’t heard any rumblings so far. I suggested we might hold a Saturday or Sunday dinner at noon, so everyone could get home before dark, in case the weather got iffy.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to send out some feelers.” Then she went on, “Have you and your place recovered from the New Year’s Eve rumble?”
“Well the place has, and I suppose I have too, pretty much. It’s going to take me a while to forget those two kids getting killed on that snowmobile. I never thought of snowmobiles as dangerous. I always thought of them as a great piece of equipment for winter.”
“But you are not inclined to do something stupid with equipment. Some people are not as level-headed.”
Greg did not say anything for a moment, then he said, “Have you set the date for the happy occasion?”
“Yes, and that reminds me, can we take pictures out in your garden?”
“Of course you can. You can hold the reception out there if you want.”
“No, but thanks anyway. I wouldn’t want all those people trampling your beautiful gardens. But you’re sweet to offer.” answered Christy, “I thought of getting married in your gardens, but again I thought, no I want to come back and admire all those beautiful flowers. We’ll settle for pictures of the wedding party in your gardens.”
“Whatever you wish. It could be a pretty setting for a small wedding.”
“That’s the sticking point,” said Christy, “Ours, I’m afraid, is not going to be a small wedding. Too many friends and relatives.”
“I am invited,” said Greg questioningly.
“And you’d better be there. No excuses accepted. I’ll take a print of one of your pictures as a wedding present.”
“Why not an original oil?”
“Oh, I wasn’t asking for anything that expensive,” said Christy seriously.
Greg laughed at Christy’s seriousness at thinking her remark would be taken as implying she was asking for something that she thought was much too expensive. Christy was repentant.
“Don’t look like you did something awful. I was the one that made the suggestion, not you,” said Greg. “Besides, I don’t think that it would be much too expensive a gift to give to a good friend like you.”
“But I wouldn’t want you to start that precedent.”
“Christy, I already gave Mark and Celeste an original that Celeste had expressed a liking for. So if that is what you are worried about, the precedent has already been set.”
“I still say it is much too expensive a gift. Your paintings are now commanding high prices, much higher than the price of a very nice wedding present that even a very good friend would give.”
“Why don’t you allow me to decide what I want to give you for a wedding gift?”
“You are impossible at times,” said Christy sounding somewhat exasperated.
Greg grinned. “You always did look especially cute when you started getting angry.”
“Oh, you. You don’t play fair.”
Greg was saved from making a reply by the arrival of their lunch. Conversation stopped, essentially, while they ate their lunch. Greg knew that Christy realized she had lost that argument. Greg would give her and Andy what he wanted to give them. Greg knew she had loved his paintings. There was one he had never exhibited, he knew Christy would especially like. He had made up his mind about that shortly after Christy told him Andy had given her an engagement ring.
As they were finishing up their lunch, Greg turned to Christy and said,
“If you hear any rumors of anyone thinking of a get-together give me a call. The last weekend of this month and the first weekend of next month may be tied up.”
“Anything you can tell me about, or is it a big secret?” said Christy with a quizzical look on her face, but a sly smile with it.
“No big secret, but it’s someone else’s plan, that I concur with. It’s too early in the planning for me to say anything except that I’m reserving those two weekends on the possibility it will come about.”
“Pooh. Okay for you if you’re going to be that way about it.”
Greg just laughed and didn’t say anymore.
Then he said, “Let me know when you want the gardens. I’ll see that they look especially nice for your pictures.”
Greg picked up the check and they left the cafe. Greg walked Christy to her car, and she gave him a light kiss on the cheek and got into her car and drove off. Greg returned to his car, ran several errands he had planned, and then headed for home. It was beginning to snow, and it got progressively heavier as he got closer to his place. By the time he drove into the yard and put the car in the garage, it was snowing heavily.
Wednesday morning it was still snowing heavily, and the reports were promising up to another foot of snow before the snow was slated to stop late Thursday morning. Greg thought he had better check things tonight, because he might have to postpone his luncheon date with Janie Dunton. He might not be able to get into town Thursday. By late afternoon, travel was not being advised in the area as the snowplows were having trouble keeping up with the snow in the outlying areas of the town and the highways. Only main county highways into towns were being plowed. That meant the road in front of his place would be virtually impassable until the snow stopped. Greg would have to call Janie and reschedule lunch. There was no way he could get into town, probably until Friday.
Greg decided to try to clear the parking area in front of the garages and clear a path on the drive to the county highway. He figured if he let it go until tomorrow, he might have more problems clearing it with his equipment. He could see how bad the county highway was drifted. Then he would call Janie when he got through.
He cleared the area in front of the door of the house and then the parking area. Then he hitched the plow to the utility vehicle and began plowing the drive. He plowed to the bridge turned around and plowed back to the parking area. It was going fairly well so he plowed the bridge and then continued on to the county highway. It had not been plowed in front of his road. He plowed an area along his side of the highway going to the left, and then turned and plowed an area of the highway going the other way. This way he reasoned the plow when it came would not be so apt to plow his driveway in. As he was plowing on the county highway, he saw ahead of him in the distance three figures trying to walk toward him in the deep snow. He continued to plow toward them to see who they were.
As he drew near, they stopped and he swung the plow in front of them to push the snow off the road to allow them to get to the plowed area. He backed the vehicle into the middle of the road and headed it back the way he came and stopped to wait for them to come up to him. It looked like three women. The first came up to the vehicle and she pulled back her hood. It was Maria Salinas.
Greg couldn’t resist. “Isn’t this the hard way to get marooned out here, Maria?”
Maria kind of smiled. “I hadn’t planned it this way. I stupidly forgot to check the weather.”
“Why don’t you all get in the car. You can explain how and why you are walking out here in a snowstorm when they are advising no travel unless absolutely necessary.”
The three women got into the vehicle and Greg started plowing his way back to his drive and then back to the house. As they were going, Maria explained that they had been going to a farm of a student of theirs for dinner. The road had been somewhat plowed until the turnoff to Montrose. It didn’t seem that deep to Maria, who was driving, but then they hit a snowdrift and the car slid into the ditch. Maria remembered that Greg’s driveway should be just a little way farther, but they didn’t realize how deep the snow had become. They were wondering if they were going to make it, when they saw his plow.
CHAPTER ONE
Sunday morning Greg decided to go into Montrose for breakfast at the Rose cafe. That proved to be a mistake, because he spent the entire time answering questions about the students vandalizing his place. He got plenty of sympathy, but plenty of questions about why he didn’t get home until the next day. He escaped as soon as he was able to, and returned home. He got out his cross country skis when he got home and headed for the woods. Getting out in the woods always relaxed him and calmed him down. Besides, it was good exercise. Exercise was something he forgot about when he got involved in painting, writing or other sedentary occupations during winter. He got back home just as it was starting to get dark. He fixed himself a leisurely dinner, built a fire in the fireplace and sat down to catch up on some of his reading. Within an hour, he found himself dozing. He made a check of the house, set the security system and went to bed.
He didn’t wake until his alarm went off at his usual six a.m. He took a shower, then went out into the kitchen to fix breakfast. About that time, a car drove into the yard. It was Celeste Drewman. Greg went to the door to welcome her in.
“Am I too late for breakfast?”
“Actually, you’re right on time. I was about to fix some. But what brings you out here on a bright Monday morning?”
“A real far out idea, about which you can tell me forget it,” said Celeste.
“Not until I hear what the idea is. But let’s have breakfast first. I think better when I’m not hungry.”
Greg fixed the breakfast and Celeste set dishes and silverware on the table in the kitchen. Then they sat down to eat. When they finished, they cleared everything away and sat down at the table again with a pot of coffee.
“Okay,” said Greg, “Hit me with your idea.”
“I have an advanced class in sculpture,” began Celeste, “and I thought it would be a great idea to try ice sculpturing. But I have no good place to do that. If we did it on the campus outside, some of them might be damaged.”
“So you thought, Greg has a lot of space in his yard, where they wouldn’t melt and no one would bother them,” Greg finished the thought for Celeste.
“But, I haven’t worked the rest of the problems out. Oh, I can arrange for big blocks of ice, and get them moved out here.”
“And I have a sled and a snowmobile that could be used to move the ice blocks to various strategic points in the gardens where they would be undisturbed,” added Greg.
“I suppose I could get an RV moved in so they could have some place to get warm,” continued Celeste.
“There would be no need for that,” interrupted Greg, “How many students in this class? When would they be working on the sculpting? How long would you give them?”
“Well, there are seven students in the class. We could move the blocks out here on a Friday and have them start Friday afternoon. Then they would have Saturday and Sunday and I think I can arrange to get them the following Monday off to work on them. They would do miniature wax sculptures of their work first from which to work. They might need another Saturday and Sunday to finish up, but that wouldn’t have to be consecutive weekends. But that would have people running all over your place on two weekends. That would be too much. I guess that wasn’t such a great idea after all,” lamented Celeste.
“Wait a minute,” said Greg, “let’s not be abandoning it before we thoroughly think this out. When were you figuring on doing this.”
“Well I thought the last weekend in January or the first weekend in February would be ideal. That is traditionally a cold couple of weeks.”
“That would be plenty of time to block out that time. You don’t need anyplace for them to get warm. There’s a big warm house already here.”
“But I’m not going to have students running in and out of your house messing it up.”
“I’ll show you what my idea on that is,” said Greg as he motioned Celeste to follow him toward the door from the kitchen leading into the stairway to his studio and also into a room attached to the garage.
“As you can see, they could come in this door next to the garage, into this room, which is heated, and has hooks for hanging jackets and a bench to sit down and take off boots. There is plenty of room for seven jackets and seven pairs of boots. And as you saw, there is kind of a mud room before you come out onto the kitchen. We could have hot chocolate and hot apple cider to warm them up.”
“Oh I didn’t mean for you to have any work in this.”
“I suspect you would be here along with the students, wouldn’t you?” said Greg.
“Well, of course. I wouldn’t just turn them loose on something like this,” said Celeste.
“Good, then I can just sit and drink hot chocolate and let you work. You know your way around this kitchen now. I’d invite you to stay over the weekend, but I don’t think Mark would look very kindly on that idea,” said Greg with a laugh.
“You mean you don’t think Mark would trust me alone with you?” asked Celeste with a smile.
“Oh, I’m sure Mark trusts you, but I’m not sure he would trust me under that situation.”
“Oh, Greg, I’m sure Mark trusts you, but that wouldn’t be necessary. We don’t live that far from your place anymore.” Then Celeste looked thoughtfully at Greg for a moment. “You really would give up a weekend or two of your freedom for something like this, wouldn’t you. Because, that is essentially what it would mean, now that I think it through. I really shouldn’t have asked that of you.”
“Hey, don’t I have a voice in this. I think it sounds like fun,” said Greg enthusiastically, “That would be easy to work around.”
“You mean it wouldn’t put a crimp in your love life?” asked Celeste with a grin, then she added, “Oh, and no fair charming my women students.”
“Scout’s honor. I’ll be good.”
“You’ll tear up all the phone numbers they will hide in places around your kitchen?”
“Oh, now that’s asking an awful lot. How many of those students are women?”
“Five of them.” answered Celeste.
“In that case, there’s safety in numbers. I wouldn’t know whose phone number was who’s.” Celeste began to laugh at that comment.
“Why don’t you plan it out and let me know. It sounds kind of fun. Maybe Mark can come out part of the time and protect me from all the women,” said Greg.
“Since when did you ever ask for protection from women,” said Celeste with disbelief. Greg didn’t answer. Mark, he thought, had very good taste. He liked Celeste, and of course he and Mark had been good friends for several years. Celeste gathered up her things and promised to get back to Greg soon on this project. Greg said he would block those weekends and make sure no plans were made for them until he heard from Celeste.
After Celeste had gone, Greg got a call from Janie Dunton.
“How about lunch on Thursday, Greg. There’s a nice cafe just a short distance from our office that just opened. People say it has good food. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I’d like to.”
“Sounds good to me. Shall I pick you up at the office, or meet you at the cafe?” Greg asked, letting Janie have her choice.
“Why don’t I meet you at the cafe.” Janie gave Greg the location of the place. They decided on a time, and Greg said he would see her on Thursday.
One thing, thought Greg, all these luncheon dates were getting him away from the house. He spent the rest of the day writing on his mystery novel, which was very close to being finished. Greg didn’t have any set timetables on either his paintings or his writing, so interruptions were no problem.
Tuesday dawned cold, breezy and cloudy, but no snow was predicted. Greg just puttered around the house until it was time to go into Barton to meet Christy for lunch. He always got the stares when he was somewhere with Christy. Being blonde, cute and bouncy, Christy looked younger than she really was. In fact most people still figured she was in her middle twenties. It kind of tickled him, because he not only knew how old she was but also that she was a lot more knowledgeable and streetwise than anyone thought. He had liked Christy from the time that he met her. He hoped her upcoming marriage to Andy Wirrens would be a very successful and happy one.
Even though Greg had gotten to the cafe a little early, Christy was already there. She greeted him with a hug and a kiss.
“Won’t Andy be jealous, if you go around kissing other men?” asked Greg with a smile.
“I only go around kissing one other man, and Andy knows all about us,” smiled Christy. “and in spite of that he likes you and has no objections to my occasionally having lunch with you.”
“I’m really glad of that because I’d really hate to have to give up a friend like you for fear of making her husband jealous.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that at all. Now what’s doing at Shangri-La since the holiday season is past. Oh, and when are we going to schedule another get-together.”
About that time the hostess escorted them to a table and they started to look over the menu. They ordered and then Greg leaned over and said quietly,
“It always tickles me to walk into a restaurant with you. I get such stares.”
“Because I’m so cute?”
“And because you look like you’re twenty-something.”
“Flatterer,” laughed Christy, “and even when you know my heart belongs to another man. But, you didn’t answer my question.”
“Jim and Joan were wondering when, also, but I haven’t heard any rumblings so far. I suggested we might hold a Saturday or Sunday dinner at noon, so everyone could get home before dark, in case the weather got iffy.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to send out some feelers.” Then she went on, “Have you and your place recovered from the New Year’s Eve rumble?”
“Well the place has, and I suppose I have too, pretty much. It’s going to take me a while to forget those two kids getting killed on that snowmobile. I never thought of snowmobiles as dangerous. I always thought of them as a great piece of equipment for winter.”
“But you are not inclined to do something stupid with equipment. Some people are not as level-headed.”
Greg did not say anything for a moment, then he said, “Have you set the date for the happy occasion?”
“Yes, and that reminds me, can we take pictures out in your garden?”
“Of course you can. You can hold the reception out there if you want.”
“No, but thanks anyway. I wouldn’t want all those people trampling your beautiful gardens. But you’re sweet to offer.” answered Christy, “I thought of getting married in your gardens, but again I thought, no I want to come back and admire all those beautiful flowers. We’ll settle for pictures of the wedding party in your gardens.”
“Whatever you wish. It could be a pretty setting for a small wedding.”
“That’s the sticking point,” said Christy, “Ours, I’m afraid, is not going to be a small wedding. Too many friends and relatives.”
“I am invited,” said Greg questioningly.
“And you’d better be there. No excuses accepted. I’ll take a print of one of your pictures as a wedding present.”
“Why not an original oil?”
“Oh, I wasn’t asking for anything that expensive,” said Christy seriously.
Greg laughed at Christy’s seriousness at thinking her remark would be taken as implying she was asking for something that she thought was much too expensive. Christy was repentant.
“Don’t look like you did something awful. I was the one that made the suggestion, not you,” said Greg. “Besides, I don’t think that it would be much too expensive a gift to give to a good friend like you.”
“But I wouldn’t want you to start that precedent.”
“Christy, I already gave Mark and Celeste an original that Celeste had expressed a liking for. So if that is what you are worried about, the precedent has already been set.”
“I still say it is much too expensive a gift. Your paintings are now commanding high prices, much higher than the price of a very nice wedding present that even a very good friend would give.”
“Why don’t you allow me to decide what I want to give you for a wedding gift?”
“You are impossible at times,” said Christy sounding somewhat exasperated.
Greg grinned. “You always did look especially cute when you started getting angry.”
“Oh, you. You don’t play fair.”
Greg was saved from making a reply by the arrival of their lunch. Conversation stopped, essentially, while they ate their lunch. Greg knew that Christy realized she had lost that argument. Greg would give her and Andy what he wanted to give them. Greg knew she had loved his paintings. There was one he had never exhibited, he knew Christy would especially like. He had made up his mind about that shortly after Christy told him Andy had given her an engagement ring.
As they were finishing up their lunch, Greg turned to Christy and said,
“If you hear any rumors of anyone thinking of a get-together give me a call. The last weekend of this month and the first weekend of next month may be tied up.”
“Anything you can tell me about, or is it a big secret?” said Christy with a quizzical look on her face, but a sly smile with it.
“No big secret, but it’s someone else’s plan, that I concur with. It’s too early in the planning for me to say anything except that I’m reserving those two weekends on the possibility it will come about.”
“Pooh. Okay for you if you’re going to be that way about it.”
Greg just laughed and didn’t say anymore.
Then he said, “Let me know when you want the gardens. I’ll see that they look especially nice for your pictures.”
Greg picked up the check and they left the cafe. Greg walked Christy to her car, and she gave him a light kiss on the cheek and got into her car and drove off. Greg returned to his car, ran several errands he had planned, and then headed for home. It was beginning to snow, and it got progressively heavier as he got closer to his place. By the time he drove into the yard and put the car in the garage, it was snowing heavily.
Wednesday morning it was still snowing heavily, and the reports were promising up to another foot of snow before the snow was slated to stop late Thursday morning. Greg thought he had better check things tonight, because he might have to postpone his luncheon date with Janie Dunton. He might not be able to get into town Thursday. By late afternoon, travel was not being advised in the area as the snowplows were having trouble keeping up with the snow in the outlying areas of the town and the highways. Only main county highways into towns were being plowed. That meant the road in front of his place would be virtually impassable until the snow stopped. Greg would have to call Janie and reschedule lunch. There was no way he could get into town, probably until Friday.
Greg decided to try to clear the parking area in front of the garages and clear a path on the drive to the county highway. He figured if he let it go until tomorrow, he might have more problems clearing it with his equipment. He could see how bad the county highway was drifted. Then he would call Janie when he got through.
He cleared the area in front of the door of the house and then the parking area. Then he hitched the plow to the utility vehicle and began plowing the drive. He plowed to the bridge turned around and plowed back to the parking area. It was going fairly well so he plowed the bridge and then continued on to the county highway. It had not been plowed in front of his road. He plowed an area along his side of the highway going to the left, and then turned and plowed an area of the highway going the other way. This way he reasoned the plow when it came would not be so apt to plow his driveway in. As he was plowing on the county highway, he saw ahead of him in the distance three figures trying to walk toward him in the deep snow. He continued to plow toward them to see who they were.
As he drew near, they stopped and he swung the plow in front of them to push the snow off the road to allow them to get to the plowed area. He backed the vehicle into the middle of the road and headed it back the way he came and stopped to wait for them to come up to him. It looked like three women. The first came up to the vehicle and she pulled back her hood. It was Maria Salinas.
Greg couldn’t resist. “Isn’t this the hard way to get marooned out here, Maria?”
Maria kind of smiled. “I hadn’t planned it this way. I stupidly forgot to check the weather.”
“Why don’t you all get in the car. You can explain how and why you are walking out here in a snowstorm when they are advising no travel unless absolutely necessary.”
The three women got into the vehicle and Greg started plowing his way back to his drive and then back to the house. As they were going, Maria explained that they had been going to a farm of a student of theirs for dinner. The road had been somewhat plowed until the turnoff to Montrose. It didn’t seem that deep to Maria, who was driving, but then they hit a snowdrift and the car slid into the ditch. Maria remembered that Greg’s driveway should be just a little way farther, but they didn’t realize how deep the snow had become. They were wondering if they were going to make it, when they saw his plow.
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