This week\'s news comes to you from (mostly) sunny California, home of farmer Colin\'s parents. Our family makes the holiday pilgrimage to the land of citrus every year. And each year it gets more and more fun as more grandchildren join the clan. The more the merrier, I always say.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, farmer Cindy agreed to care for our home and cats and by the way, how about trying to save the greenhouses from all that snow? She has done a miraculous job carrying on the snow cardio workout tradition in our absence and in the continued presence of so much dang snow. I know it\'s lovely and holiday spirit and all, but dang! I confess, we never dream of a white christmas, because it always means danger to the greenhouses. We offered Cindy the emergency contingency plan to cut the plastic and thereby save the structures if it came down to it. We already got five or six years out of some plastic that was only meant to last two or three, but that\'s just our way. Re-use, recylce, all that, or just plain keep using it up until you can\'t possibly tape it up any more. But our Cindy was determined and she has been triumphant in the battle of woman vs. snow.

Please accept our apologies for not making it down to market that last sunday for CSA pick ups. We got word from the market manager that the market would be closed, and took that to mean unsafe driving conditions for everyone. Hopefully you all got phone messages telling you to get the last share box from our cooler at the farm whenever the roads clear up enough.

After five more days of holiday fun in the sun, (we\'re considering attending the Rose Parade even) we will be happy to come home to our muddy mess and think about another year.