Now that we are in Vermont for a week, Christmas has suddenly loomed much closer. Not only are we having our family Christmas this weekend, but Vermont itself is a place where the holiday seems almost palpable.

Last week in Key Largo we dropped in on the local Public grocery to look for Key Lime Pie and found the fire lane outside jammed with locals buying balsam fir Christmas trees off a truck. The air, normally smelling of salt air and mangrove marsh, was rich with the scent of fir, an incongruous scent indeed among the swaying palm trees. I remember being surprised. Without having the climatological cues of Vermont, I had completely forgotten what time of year it was.

Here, blustery winds and cold dry air, the sky studded with gray clouds, the trees barren of leaves -- all seem to be setting the stage for a big snowstorm to drop in at the last moment and decorate everything for the holiday. I doubt we will have any substantial snow this early, but in Vermont you never know. That's what everyone would like, for sure. Without snow, this is just a cold windy place, but with snow it's magical, and suddenly everyone is thinking red & green, Robert Frost poems, egg nog and hot cider, and hearing Christmas carols everwhere.

Speaking of Christmas carols, if you are ever in Vermont, drop by the Porter Music Box Company in Randolph. You can also hear one of their magical boxes playing Christmas music from a giant copper disc at Kennedy Brothers in Vergennes, during the holidays. The sound is absolutely enchanting and is guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. (You can also hear a brief sample and order a CD of the Porter Music Box songs on their website.)

This reminds me of other Christmas gift ideas for trailer owners that I should have mentioned in my previous blog. (Disclaimer: some of these are advertisers in Airstream Life magazine, but I mention them because I like their products.)

The Hammerhead sled is a really unique thing. It's expensive but super fun. My brother runs the company. You can get them from the company website, or EMS, LL Bean, REI, Hammacher Schlemmer, and other outlets. We're going to go sledding this weekend on a pair of Hammerheads, so I'll post some pictures of that later.

For someone who tows a trailer, Dura-Flap makes a really nice product. I've seen their mudflaps and they are super tough. I plan to get a set for the Armada soon. They should keep us from getting any more major rock dings, like we did in Oregon.

Another idea is a Torqstik. The whole set is expensive, but you can buy just one Torqstik for $20 directly from the manufacturer. An Airstreamer who owns his own air wrench could certainly use one of these, and even if you don't have an air wrench it would be nice to have one onboard to hand to the tire shop guy so he doesn't cause a problem like we had last summer.

Terry installed our tire using the "Red" (50-lb) Torqstik, and then finalized it with his torque wrench.

Just order the particular Torqstik appropriate for your trailer's wheels (check the Owners Manual for info on what torque you should be using). For example, our trailer wheels should be torqued to 100-110 ft-lbs, and we have 3/4" lug nuts. So the "Gray" stick, part #PAT-19100 would be my choice.

Have fun shopping for your favorite Airstreamer!