Just a little winter sneaking in before Christmas

Seventeen below zero last night with -28 windchill. Dosn't bother me. When it gets that cold I just stay in the house where it is warm. There is a big pot of potato soup on the stove and the family room downstairs is nice and cozy, and the potato soup is scrumptous. I'll keep it warm for you, with lots of cracker, butter and jelly. Perhaps a little warm pin cherry juice also.

Once again, Tis the Season, down on the farm.

Once again it is the season that everyone looks

forward to all year. Snow is on the ground, fresh fluffy and beautiful. Crowds are gathering in the stores and music is playing everywhere. Which brings me to a point, I went to the grocery today and up near the front was a lady at a fairly large keyboard, playing beautiful piano music. Some semi classical and some yes, Christmas music. It was awesome and what an atmosphere it created in the store. Even though it was crowded people were being courteous and thoughtful of others. That brings my thought also to the fact that I was at the Mall and it also was crowded but the atmosphere semed light and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Maybe there is somoe hope for this crazy world after all. One wonders...listening to the news.

The photos are from last year at Christmas time, The Christmas card was shot through our kitchen window into the back yard. The snow was three to six feet deep over our whole yard
it was really awesome everything was so white. The other is a shot of "Sun Dogs" taken New Years Day 2009. When the weather gets so cold up here that the moisture in the atmosphere crystallizes, the sunlight refracting through the ice crystals creates a large colored circle around the sun with a sun dog on each side. It is really a remarkable sight when they are as pronounced as the are in the photo. We had sun dogs today but only slightly, not nearly as spectacular. It does remind you though that it is cold just in case you forget.

I love the music of this season. The Christmas Carols and especially the happy kids songs like "Santa Claus is Comming to Town", "Frosty" ,"Rudolf", and all the others. They are such happy songs that it can't help but raise your spirits. And we really should be in good spirits as we contemplate the real meaning of the season. We will never again get a gift so marvelous as the one the world received nearly 2000 years ago, with the birth of the Saviour. And He came to benefit all of us no matter what our current beliefs are. MERRY CHRISTMAS .................