ORIGINAL MOUNTAIN LEGENDS AND MORE 2

WINTER EPISODE

“ON FROSTY, SNOWY DAYS, BETTER STAY WITH MULLED WINE AND A WONDERFUL VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS.”

Do you remember the movie “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz and their house swap offer? I have in my mind a scene where Cameron is walking around in high heels and carrying a large suitcase in the snow. The taxi driver left her on the main road, and the cottage she replaced for vacation is obviously in the middle of nowhere.

Such scenes with tourists are also on the agenda in my village in the mountains. Due to the incorrect GPS route, most tourists get lost here. It happened several times that due to such a GPS error, instead of tourists, we gained new neighbours. People just fall in love with the charms of our land.

And another original mountain legend begins like this:

"Good Morning Mr. Tony". (my Dad, forever and ever in the mountain)

"Good Morning Anna." (new residents)

"Isn't this morning beautiful?"

"It's almost afternoon, not morning."

"Well, not everyone gets up with a rooster, although we hear it around 5 a.m. We slept until 11, then breakfast, and now we go for a walk, sightseeing, and breathe the mountain air, we need it. It's so relaxing."

"Very good idea."

"Maybe we can go to the store to buy something. Do you need anything, Mr. Tony?"

"No this time, thanks. But shopping is a good idea. Apparently, it's going to snow for the next few days, so get some dry goods for survival."

In my opinion, those tourists who visit our mountain lands should:

• in the first place, take a trial at living in this place “end of the world” – a week is enough, https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/mountains-legend/
• second – necessarily in winter.

What is the real winter in the mountains?

Certainly not only as in the pictures, which mostly attract tourists with their charms. A real winter in the mountains is a winter with severe frosts, waist-deep snow, and sometimes with the inability to leave the house. Winter is terrifying, but it also has hidden beauty. Sunny, frosty days are wonderfully amazing.

Then the snow-covered landscapes, frozen trees, bushes, and grass around delight with their beauty. These wonders of nature can be admired only in winter.

Next snowing days with our neighbours look the same:

"Hello, again Mr. Tony."

"Hello, new neighbours. What was the walk like?"

"Gorgeous. They have great food at this restaurant in the neighbouring village. Beautiful day. Just don't let it stop snowing."

"They said on tv that it would snow until the end of January."

"Great news. We need to take a nap after eating and walking, see you tomorrow."

Third days with new people around:

"Good morning, do you know why there is no electricity?"

"Probably is the fault of that strong wind with snow all at night. All exit roads are full of snow and the same is my entire yard. I've been shoveling this snow away since 6 a.m."

"It is the same with us. Snow covered our pats. We had a problem getting to you."

"And you are on your way to the walk again?"

"We can't make it, the whole road is 20cm snow-covered, and there is no passage even on the main road. The plows don't drive here?"

"Around 8 there was one but buried and stuck for good in snow. The driver, Mr. Roman still in our home, having mulled wine and calling for help."

"How do we get to the store? The car will not pass, and I will not too."

"Now it is necessary to wait until spring and the thaw."

"A good joke Mr. Tony. But we are low on food and do you have maybe some candles?"

"Let me ask my wife and then bring you all the necessary supplies."

"Thank you so much, see you then."

We didn’t see new residents for the next two days and we started to worry. Fortunately, there was less snow and the plows are doing great, but Mr. Roman is coming to us for tea anyway:

"How your new neighbours are doing?"

"Well, they don't go for walks anymore. We gave them food, wife's specialty raspberry alcohol syrups, and candles for a few days, and today they have roads to the store cleared."

"Talking of the devil."

"Good morning, Mr. Tony and Mr. Roman, we will go to the store to buy the products we borrowed from you, do you need something more?"

Mom always has a shopping list prepared: more boxes of candles, rice, sugar, toilet paper, and maybe flour, because she has to bake more, not only cakes but also bread when there is no way to get to the store.

"You see, Mr. Roman, I think the new neighbours are doing well here, the worst have survived. I believe they don't leave our village like the others, after a week or two in winter."

"Are we betting again?"

"Tony, just don't bet honey, you lost the previous two."

"So what?"

"In order not to upset the women and to help you, if I lose, I will take care of your little path for a week, but in my opinion, the new people will disappear soon."

"The bet has been accepted."

Again, after 13 days, when tourists came here permanently, 20 cm of snow fell in our beautiful area. Mr. Roman returned with his plows. He enjoyed the time spent with my parents and the mulled wine. Everyone looked sadly out of the window, where in our neighbour’s yard a sign “House for sale” had grown up again.

…to be continued