Chloe and I had the good fortune of house-sitting in winter 2008 at Cobb Hill, a co-housing community in Hartland, Vermont. It's a lovely place in multiple ways—people, setting, houses, ideals.

Susie & Hal's house, our house-sitting home. (Ladder for clearing ice & snow from leaky skylight—really fun the first time.) Mt Ascutney at left.

A fine picture at every window.

Raking snow from the roof to prevent ice dams.

Friends Marta and John.

It's a working farm, with award-winning cheese (partners shown here) among other enterprises.

The hens.

Serious snow! This wood is for the central furnace that heats all the houses. Everyone takes turns feeding it.

A foggy day out the dining room window.

You can ski a 6 mile loop out the back door.

It was a great winter.