Back from DC

We've made it back from Washington, DC, where we were the past few days, for the inauguration. We didn't actually see the inauguration from the mall, but that is another story. It was great to be in DC for this historic event.

Last night, we were sitting in bed, listinging to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. A. insisted that she heard something in the chimney. Bailey, our cat, also seemed rather certain of this. Once the audiobook was paused, we could hear a mouse (or mice) in the walls. We haven't seen any evidence of mice in the house, so this doesn't bother us that much. Further, we have good confidence that our cat, Bailey, will make fast work of them. We are slightly concerned as to where she may leave the dead mice and thus provided her with extensive instructions as to proper and improper places for their disposal.

Another surprise when we returned home was the massive amount of ice on the north-facing side of our house. Most dramatic was on the third floor dormer, where the water appeared to have drained between the roof and the gutter. The massive ice buildup here would explain the exensive damage to the slates just below the dormer. This will be a real challenge to insulate.