Living on a ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains has its pros and cons. Our weather is often snowier, colder and windier than those who live below us, but the views help to make up for the extra layer I always wear in the cooler months. On most days when I take the 20-minute commute “down the mountain” to Cam’s school, I enjoy the beauty of our countryside, the vistas, farms and fields and think about how fortunate we are to live here. I listen to WTOP for the news and weather and, of course, I hear the Washington, D.C., traffic report. Then I really don’t mind getting stuck behind the big John Deere tractor that seems to cross my path frequently, turning onto Route 50 from Delaplane Grade Road. I just have more time to gaze at the scenery.