Just testing some server issues.

Just a quick hello to all of our neighbors -- Enjoy the beautiful winter weather and make sure to stay warm and safe this weekend.

We're winding down the year now and the Hill is completely blanketed in snow. This is our favorite time of year and every day is a reminder of how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful place.

And, while most things seem to go into hibernation during the Winter, it seems like other things get a little more active. But maybe that extra chill we feel sometimes is due to keeping thethermostat low (heating a hundred year old home is expensive, after all).

Slowly but surely, we've been letting people know about the site -- but we're still waiting on stories to come pouring in. Until we get a few, here's a nice little story we found from the UK, courtesy of the most excellent Adam Phillips:

At the bottom of the door was an unusually large gap, big enough for my fist to go under. Peering under the door, we got a rat's-eye view of the room and we saw something that I wish we hadn't seen. It was an old-style rocking cradle with a lace canopy. The little locked room was brightly lit, so we could clearly see all the contents. There were stuffed animals, a wicker box with a lid, and just at the edge of my view I could see a single bed.

You can read the rest on Adam's site.

And, of course, we'd love to hear from you.

"Technology does nothing to dispel the shadows at the edge of things"

You might have seen one of these signs (left) posted around town.

If so, welcome. Don't forget to tell us your story if you have one to share. Also, if you'd like to help spread the word, feel free to click on the sign and download a PDF version that you can print and post around town.

Looks like we're finally up and running. This took a lot less time than we realized, thanks to taking the quick-and-dirty approach. Here's what's working in this first incarnation:

• All key pages are in place and functional
• The e-mail link is active for submitting stories.
• The first stories have been posted in the Stories from the Hill area.

Here's what's coming down the road:

• An easier way to browse for stories by street name.
• Podcasts!
• A search feature.
• An automated submission feature (once we figure out how to build it).
• Whatever other clever ideas we (or you) come up with.

Speaking of which, please submit any suggestions or problems to our cut-rate webmaster.

One more page of copy to write, a couple of stories to post, and a few flyers to make and put up.

Then we'll be good to go.

Stay tuned...