February was filled with storms - at least three weekend snows that redefined the word 'winter.' One of them was a full-fledge blizzard that dumped nearly two feet of white stuff on 'Vacationland,' with drifts approaching five feet. Some of the drifts were like cresting waves, poised to crash onto the 'beach' - which was our deck. Needless to say, a warm, snug house is the best place to enjoy what winter has to offer.

On the photo- voltaic front, we generated 291 kWhrs of power from the sun. On the cloudless days, the passive solar gain raised the interior temperatures to 78 degrees before we bled off some of the free heat by opening a window or two. The two 500-gallon water tanks reached 150 degrees on several days - a sure sign of the spring to come.

The Plug-in Prius is keeping it's MPG at 111 since it's purchase in August of 2012. I've had no problems with it and am quite satisfied with the 3-year lease.