Patty's Nandinas are in full berry mode, looking a lot like Christmas to me.   

 

There are about 6 or 7 bushes like this across the back of their house.  A couple winters ago when it was so cold, we thought they were dead.  But they have come back, and are beautiful again.

 

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

I'm not sure WHY he does it, but this is how I found Gizmo this morning.  And it's not the first time either.  He's been doing it almost every day lately.  He pulls out the basket of pink and red fabric, scoops out a few pieces, then curls up in the midst of them.  That's how he spends the morning.  

 

I just have to wait for him to move before I can get to the ironing board, and get on with my work.  

 

Why the pink and red?  Why any of it?  I don't know.  And I bet he won't tell me.

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

 

 

 

This is how it looked outside our windows on Monday.  It was warm enough to go for a walk, but still a little too damp.

 

We thought about it, and decided to wait for another day.  It's OK to take a day off now and then.  

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

It's Momma's birthday, and time to decorate for Christmas.  We brought up the snowmen, Father Christmas, and enough silk poinsettias to cover everything.  That's how we do it.  

 

I also found a log of already made cheese biscuits (from last year) so we will cook those today too.

 

I'm so glad we've had a few inside days, to make cookies, cook cheese biscuits, and decorate for Christmas.  I love thinking about how fortunate we are to live here in the mountains.  

 

I hope your holidays are off to a wonderful start too.

 

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

Here we are, a rainy day in December, making cookies.  We love to make our gingerbread men cookies.  Jon rolls out the dough and cuts the little gingerbread men, and I decorate them with m&m's and chocolate chips, while we listen to Christmas music.  Our whole house smells wonderful, and we have fun.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

 

I don't have a picture for you today, but check back tomorrow.  We are expecting rain all day today, so our plan for the day is to cook!!  I will take pix and let you know how we did.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER !!!

 

Speaking of Christmas decorations:  look at this Sycamore tree.  It has dropped all its leaves, and all that's left are the seed pods hanging on like ornaments on a Christmas tree.  Hold onto your hat!  Each one of those seed pods has about 50 seeds in it.  If they all germinated, the world would be covered in Sycamore trees.  Of course they don't all germinate, but don't they look neat hanging on the branches.  

 

The other cool thing about Sycamores is their exfoliating bark.  If you look up into the top of the tree, you can see stark white branches poking up into the winter sky.  I hope you see some in your travels.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

You know that old snag down in the meadow?  Well, when we were driving out last week, we saw these turkey vultures up in the tree.  I'm not sure if they were shopping for lunch, or just hanging out, but aren't they magnificent?  

 

I read that they are gregarious and hang out in large groups, and we have often seen lots of them flying together.  The article that I read also said that they have a wingspan of 63-72 inches, and can weigh up to 5 pounds.  That's a big bird!!!

 

I love seeing them flying overhead, but this is pretty cool too.  

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

On one of our walks I noticed that the Christmas ferns are still nice and green.  I think that's how they got their name, being evergreen and staying mostly green right up until Christmas.  Some of the leaves will fall over and melt into the forest floor, and others stay upright and green through the winter.  

 

You can also see another identifying characteristic; at the base of each leaflet is a little thumb, making it look like a mitten.  That's how I remember the Christmas part.  

 

If you would like to read more about this fern, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystichum_acrostichoides?wprov=sfti1#

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

Look how cute the haybale is this month.  Somebody got creative and decorated it, and the little hill for Christmas.  

 

I found out that it wasn't just some body:  it was Karen and Val and Cheryl. 

 

 

You guys are awesome.  Thanks for making us smile.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!