Christmas Day Then and Now, White and Wet - UPDATED 11:15 am

A photo from Christmas 2008:

Christmas 2008 the street to cousin Traci's house in Durango, CO:And downtown Durango - we were there in July 2006 and it didn't look like this!Wow! New snow in Jackson Hole, WY today. And Montrose, CO also got a White Christmas!This morning at home the wind was blustery and blew sheets of rain across the road, which of course, did not photograph well.The rain puddle out back. You can see the neighbor's Christmas tree in their window over the fence)The beard is coming along:

Mowry is still giving me odd looks when I take his picture:

Or maybe he just squints from the flash!

Ziggy was adventurous yesterday:

Last night we had a lovely evening with Kathryn, a friend of hers, and Ken and Diann.

There is a nice picture of the three of us, but I don't like posting faces on this blog! Ziggy came out from his hiding place to see all the guests! And before everyone got here, he jumped onto my lap! Mowry came out for a bit while the guests were here, too, but Alex emerged only after everyone left and it was safe!

I'm working on this sock with Lorna's Laces yarn. It's interesting. I'm not sure I like the way the yarn patterns using K3 P 1, but the yarn is pretty. I tried a few different stitches to get the most of the yarn pattern, and settled on this.


MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate!

UPDATED 11:15 AM Christmas Day:

The rain stopped and the sun came out. There are still clouds, but it's beautiful. It's still cold at 45 degrees!

But there's more snow in Durango!

Just a view of here and there! I'm glad I'm here, but that I'm able to go online and see there!

Christmas Eve Day

It's almost over. The 2008 holiday season. I haven't dreaded it this year as some years past, but frankly, I don't like the holiday season. Bah Humbug. If I want to give someone a present, I'll do it whether it's a holiday that says I should, or not. I'm amazed at how much people spend on gifts. We try to keep it all within our means and not overspend. It's not that hard to do. And we don't exchange many gifts, either.


Will leases his computer equipment for his business. He was very excited to get his new laptop yesterday. Or is it a spaceship?


So today he took off to go to Fry's to get some adapter thing he explained to me twice, but I still don't quite understand. I guess I don't really care. This is the man who refuses to drive anywhere when it's wet out if he can help it. I guess he couldn't help it. That's not fog, just the reflection of the camera on the window.






He kept asking me if I wanted to go with him. I think he was kidding, especially since I was in my jammies and robe, and he was ready to go. Going to Fry's is, well, like going to the zoo. Or not. The zoo can be enjoyable! Unless you're the one in the cage. Yep, that's Fry's!

Meanwhile, I'm home and I have things to do! The dishwasher is running so it will need to be emptied. The table needs to be set for dinner tonight.

The dining room table has been put back into the dining room from the sunroom, where it resides all summer. Now I just need to set the table.

I put out some decorations, but they aren't set up yet.


The gifts are safely stored in a laundry basket covered by a towel. Why "safely stored" you ask? From FELINES! Look at that wrapping in the bag. Looks like a cat toy to me!

It's got "active cat" written all over it. This was Mowry's active time.
I couldn't get a picture of his face because he wouldn't sit still long enough. He had to leave his scent everywhere.He finally played with the banana. This was one of the cool toys that came with Ziggy. There are two bananas, which is good in the event one gets lost. That means knocked under a piece of furniture and we can't see it until we move the furniture. The fish in the background is being ignored at the moment.

Alex is being lazy boy. He loves the banana, too, but he's resting now.

I think he worked hard this morning coming around and meowing at us to tell us the dishwasher was going. Or something. Who knows what he wanted. I don't speak cat speak. It's not for lack of trying!

Meanwhile, Ziggy is hiding in his spot.

Last night we had a Ziggy breakthrough. Will and I were on the loveseat and Ziggy jumped up and sat on Will's lap. And when Will had to get up, he put him between us, and he stayed!!!! He even put his head in my lap. Unlike Alex - if you so much as breathe deeper than you were breathing before, he's up and out of there! Just in case. You never know!

It's not a great picture, but that is Ziggy on Will's lap being petted, and seeming to enjoy it!

Happy whatever you celebrate! I wish everyone peace, health, and prosperity. This is something everyone wants and deserves, no matter what you believe in.

I love this blog! Pictures to share...

I really like having this blog where I can post pictures that I take, and share them with anyone who wants to see them. Without this, they would sit on my computer drive, and I'd probably not print very many. I copied Diann when she told me she had a blog. I thank her for telling me about it.

Yesterday we saw some trees that still had fall colors on them as we were leaving the Trader Joe's parking lot. That store was a zoo like a weekend. It's definitely Christmas week.

I couldn't have blocked Mission Peak with the palm tree had I tried to do this intentionally! We can see Mission Peak from the middle of our driveway. I had a picture, but now I can't find it.

I haven't seen this bumper sticker before. I'm not sure why people like bumper stickers - they deface the car, and I don't really care what they think, who they voted for, what religion they are, etc., but this one was good to take a picture of.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Gas is $1.75 if you pay cash, and $1.79 if you use your credit card.

I love looking at the web cam of the front of Wrigley Field in Chicago. It was snowing again today!

They plowed a walkway for pedestrians, but I just looked and it's all iced up. BRRrrrrr. It's actually warmer than it's been - 22 degrees vs. 2 degrees yesterday.


New snow in Durango today. I can't remember ever seeing the whole street covered with snow.

The show must go on! The Fed Ex truck is delivering. I hope he gets paid more than drivers in California! Oh my, this could start a whole riot. My blog, my opinion!

Last night was the second night of Chanukah. Blue wax dripped onto the white candle as it was being lit.

Ziggy is a cuddler when he lets you hold him.

He found a new hiding place on the shelf of the side table. I didn't think a cat could fit in there.He's back in his favorite hiding spot.
I think Alex and/or Mowry is getting in trouble for bothering Ziggy. Will just told me that Mowry had Ziggy cornered in the sunroom. This has to end. I don't understand why Ziggy is so afraid (since he could turn around and pounce Mowry) and why Mowry thinks Ziggy is prey.

I need to go to the store (how could I forget mozzarella and ricotta cheese for my lasagne?), the library and the post office box. We're cleaning and setting up the table for tomorrow's dinner.

Monday

The sky is blue with many white clouds. It's only 50 degrees - cold for us California weather wimps. I should probably go to Costco, but I'm not crazy to attempt that three days before Christmas. I know my limits! I'll go to either Trader Joe's, Safeway, or both. Those will probably be a mess, too.

Someone who recently had gum surgery told me to dunk cookies in milk or coffee. I didn't really like how that worked, but I didn't give up. I put one in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it was perfect (for me - mushy and soft). Mmmmmmmmmmm. I LOVE chocolate chip cookies.

It snowed in Durango, CO today. Someone is actually using an umbrella. I don't think I've ever seen that, but then again, I don't really have that much experience with it snowing! Maybe they are from California! Ha!

A little later it was still quite snowy. I love the red trolley!I've never seen it this snowy in Jackson Hole, WY. Notice the menorah to the left toward the front with one candle lit for the first night of Chanukah.

Yesterday Will lit a fire early, so we were lazy bums the rest of the day. He watched football and I knitted. There's no better way to knit that in front of a fire with one of your cozy cats. The only reason Alex was with me was because I had the down throw.

Poor Ziggy has taken to hiding on the "first floor" of the Crow's Nest scratching post. This was taken looking down at him. He has a little problem - he smells like he has a dingleberry. We cleaned him up the other day, and he's been hiding ever since. I don't think he likes human help, but he's kind of stinky. I hope this isn't because his two brothers chase him when he's in his box, or anything like that.

This was Ziggy at his former humans' house. Sadly, he looks happier. I wish he'd come in the office again so we can give him some human love.