Happy New Year

Another year gone and it's left me with a few things that ought to be said.

Firstly, Gov. Sarah Palin can shoot and field dress a moose. This was an object of derision in the media.
That's a survival skill and a damned good one. My guess is she can probably cook some nice moose steaks afterward. So, to everyone who made fun of her, would you rather be lost in the bush with a companion whose idea of survival is to have a full set of charge cards?

Secondly, it is said that a man will say anything to get laid. I say a politician will say anything to get elected. I am unsure of the difference.

Thirdly, a young Chinese girl lip-synched the words to a song during the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Christopher Plummer did not sing* during The Sound of Music. No one cared. Audrey Hepburn did not sing in My Fair Lady. No one cared.
Lip-synching during an opening ceremonies? No one should care.

Fourthly, Keira Knightley, please eat something. I worry.

Fifthly, Majel Barret died recently. It was a sad, sad day. If you have to look up who she is, you don't care.

Sixthly, when will Dubya be charged with war crimes?

Seventhly, a Holocaust survivor has written a fake memoir due to be published in February. Eventually enough doubt was cast for it to be pulled before its publication. He really was a survivior, but his tale of a nine-year old girl throwing apples over the fence to him every day while he was in a concentration camp was not questioned by anyone at Penguin. Seriously, does no one care?

Eighthly, near the end of a recent afternoon drive I spotted some people and was trying to tell my husband. I wanted to say humanoids, and I wanted to say hominids. What I said was, "Gaahhhhh! Homonyms!"

And finally, the "new age" refers to the precession of the equinoxes. The world does not end in 2012, the current Piscean age ends. The sun will rise in constellation of Aquarius on the morning of the vernal equinox instead of Pisces as it has for the past 2000+ years. The symbol of Aquarius is water. Invest in drinking water.

Thanks. I feel better.

Happy New Year, Homonyms! See you in '09.


*I heard this once when he was a guest celeb on a Canadian game show called "Definition" hosted by Jim Perry. Perry made some mention that Plummer didn't sing a note during the film and Plummer nodded or somesuch in agreement. It was the early 70s and I'm going by memory.

Return of the Frost Fairies

It was really quite cold for a few days lately and that always brings out the best, most artistic of the Frost Fairies.
They spent many a long cold night drawing their delicate patterns on our screen doors.
I've always been a fan of their work. I hope they know it.

Gratitude Monday - Magnificent Moment Edition

Clicking to enlarge is strongly recommended.

The Bald Eagle is a majestic and dynamic bird. They are scarce here and a reasonably rare sight.
We were very blessed on our Christmas drive to see five of them. Four were gathered by a creek and then this lone one was in a tree near a subdivision.
The eagle stayed in the tree as I approached though it grew restless. Eventually I got too close and it took wing, but it gave me ample opportunity to get some magnificent shots.
I am so grateful to have seen it and to get this photo.

Photo Finish Friday - A Different Christmas Ham

We went out for our traditional Christmas drive yesterday. It's a good day to go as most people are inside stuffing themselves stupid and then sleeping it off. The world is mostly quiet and the animals come out to play.

This stag had two does out with him for an afternoon hay feast. He was intrigued by us and when he saw the camera he very courteously posed.

Here he is being playful.


Inquisitive.

And pensive.

He was a bit of a ham, but he enjoyed it and so did we.

I hope you do, too.

Not A Creature Was Stirring...

Mike waits for the pine siskin to wake up and notice him so he could refill the feeder.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

If You Were Wondering...

...how much snow we've had, then these photos will answer your question.
Well, to be honest it only half answers it. This is the amount we've had since I cleared away 6-8 inches last week. I've been too lazy to go out and shovel, plus it just keeps coming.

I think the snow hat makes the bird house look rather cozy.


This is just weird. This hole in the snow formed all by its lonesome. I've no clue how. But I like it.


For perspective here's that hole in the snow. As you can see it's on the front porch railing. It looks like it's made a snow bridge.
You can see on the railing how it's piled up out there.

I hope this tides all my poor, snow-deprived readers over for a while.

Gratitude Monday - Winter's Here

Yes, I am grateful that winter is finally here.
It's a good season. The land rests. The rivers are slow. The world itself is calmer and cleaner and perhaps prettier.
We in the colder climes turn inside ourselves for a bit. It's a time of thinking and creating and staying close to home, if we can.
We are past the Solstice. The days will lengthen. We are returning to the light.