Post Christmas Post!

 Not much has happened since Christmas, a few days ago.   I have a few pictures and, since nothing very exciting is likely to happen for the rest of the year,  I thought I'd do another post.   

It's due to rain tomorrow and New Year's Eve.   The temperatures are in the "chilly" range, although we were able to sit outside (with sweatshirts and socks on) for second cup this morning.    The birds seem to know when we come out and they flock to the suet feeder and whatever piece of fruit I have to offer.  They don't seem to care whether it's an orange or a pomegranate...They all take their turns - thrashers, white crowned sparrows, abert's tohees, cactus wrens, ladder-backed woodpeckers, gilded flickers, gila woodpeckers, house sparrows, house finches, northern cardinals, pyrrhuloxias, mockingbirds and even the quail.   

While we chatted and  dunked our biscotti, we noticed something different in the sky.   Normally the blue is criss crossed  by numerous contrails, high above.    Today there were none, but we saw this, what we called a reverse contrail!  

Our eyes are on the sky always.    We watch planes and birds and clouds as part of the enjoyment of being outdoors.    Never have we seen this.   I've since found out that it has a name - a distrail.   I guess you're never too old to learn something new!

Dave continues to make the new fireplace feel like it belongs.   Today he used a new to him technique - a knock down finish.   All the walls and ceilings in this house have this "textured" finish so he had to learn how to make the new wall match the others.

It's turning out pretty good, although we had to make a quick trip to the lumberyard today for more product.     While I was waiting outside in the Jeep, a prairie schooner wanna be clip clopped by, probably taking tourists on cowboy town tour. 

   Tomorrow he'll put on a coat of paint on the new wall and see how it looks.   If all is well, the heavy stone surround will be attached and it's finally done!   What will we do then? 

Lewis has been pestering us for attention lately.   Either he's bored with this static life or he's reverting to his puppyhood.    I finally revived the old "keep the puppy busy" trick of filling a "Kong" with goodies,  sealing it closed with peanut butter and freezing it.    When I can take his poking and woofing no more,  I pull out the Kong and he's happily occupied for at least an hour trying to free the goodies.   

nom nom nom, slurp slurp slurp

That's about all from here for now.   See you next year!