Look carefully at the picture on the head of this blog, and you will see icicles on the gleefully splashy fountain. The fun part is that they leave this thing running in winter!

This is the Germans, though, they build things to deal with the vise-grip cold and penetrating damp of Bavarian winter.
Not like us Americans, who slap things together without so much forethought.

We had to install a pipe-heater wire and multiple insulation backups after the temps here in MD got down to 5F, and the water in the master bath stopped flowing. Chuck got the right pipe with the hair dryer, and it thawed right out, but it was scary and we were up most of last night. With the heat pump, the highest attainable temp inside is 65F.

This is OK, but the system struggles to achieve it.

We went ahead and got some mica space heaters for the basement and master bath (the heat pump blows more than it heats) now maybe we can get some frakkin REST.

Cg's cold is fading, now I am starting to feel it. Ugh.

I just got a note of support from a colleague and dear friend.. it's amazing, when you meet people who extend a real, firm hand in a general environment of flakiness.

I do have to say, that my colleagues in this area are some of the most elegantly generous, warm and supportive people I could have ever hoped for.

It's just now that I feel like my swim across the Atlantic is coming to an end. I am feeling like this spring, I can start to grow some roots, and trust I won't have to tear them out again, before I see fruit.