Boxing Day mixed bag

Dad drove (AWD Subarus get through anything) us down to Eugene to my brother's house yesterday. My street was the worst of it both coming and going. I-5 was pretty much clear. Berms of frozen-over slush between the lanes and in some places the outer lanes were part covered by ice. On the way home when we got to my street the frozen ruts were so aggressive that we went skittering all over the place. Managed to miss the parked cars. I stood in the road and watched Dad drive away to be sure he got back out okay too.

Today it is warming up - 37 at the airport - and supposed to rain. It's sun behind clouds right now. That's great coz I have to go out and take the bus (Miz Pea still has a pile of snow behind her - plus our street is still messy) to get more cat food and litter before there's a general strike here.

The radio controlled Tarantula I got my 7 nearly 8 year old nephew was a huge hit. They chased my niece's Mini Pinscher/Chihuahua puppy around with it. She didn't like it very much - hopefully she won't take a big bite out of it when nobody's looking.

Got to spend a little time holding my great-niece Isabelle while her mommy opened presents. She's a beautiful baby. No, I'm not biased, she really is. I found her a cute little outfit with a leopard print mini skirt, matching shirt and little leopard print plastic cat-eye shaped sunglasses. Those were a little big. I wish someone had snapped a picture when my sister in law plopped them on her little face.

I got cash from Dad (he doesn't like to shop) and a gift card to Borders from my brother (Hey! I thought we weren't doing gifts?) so if the weather holds, I'll head downtown on the bus as well. I wonder if they have the Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians box set I haven't picked up yet? I'll have to see how much of it is new to me material vs how much I already own coz it's spendy.

Beth posted the Mariah Carey version of this song today. I like the version from the film Love, Actually (Which I should watch today - I've got the dvd - they keep playing a sanitized version on Oxygen and Bravo and it's just not quite as funny without the naughty bits.) so here's that cute kid from the film.



Hope you all have the day off and are having a great extended Christmas holiday with your friends and relatives!

Merry Christmas!

One of my favorite Christmas Songs.





Come January 20, 2009 I am hopeful that our country will be henceforth in the business of ending war rather than making war.

The proper attitude to take in these situations...

Happy Solstice!!!

At last - the shortest day of the year and the longest night. From here on out, little by little, the days get longer! I am such modern day wuss. It's not like I've been living in total darkness, lit only by firelight or candlelight like the ancients endured. But still, we seem to be hardwired to welcome this day and the annual return of the light.  I know I do!  

21 F out there right now. I stepped outside in nightshirt and flipflops (only as far as the porch) to take some photos of the trees that are now frosted in white. So pretty!

The Japanese Snowbell Tree in front of my house.

A detail of the lights in the Japanese Maple.

One of the Hawthornes in the neighbor's tree belt.

They're still saying we'll get freezing rain on top of this, but if it holds off long enough I really want to go out and build a snow cat!

Okay - that was just practice snow

Now we've got the real thing! It's been snowing since last night and we've got about 4" here in the city. Much more up in the West Hills.

My little Japanese Maple decked out in Christmas lights.

The back yard.

The snow is still coming down!

It might even keep snowing until Christmas!  My Nephew in Law missed his flight from Atlanta this morning and is now stuck in Dallas.  Trying to get him onto a flight to Eugene (probably via San Francisco or L.A. - there's almost no flights direct to Eugene) instead of Portland so that he doesn't have to get there from here.  It's just rain in Eugene - 110 miles south.  

Snow!!!

We got our snow!!!

They're not the usual sploshy wet flakes we get here in Portland.  They were teeny little things when I woke up at 7ish, gradually getting bigger and accumulating a little more than a 'dusting' and less than an inch.  The tops of the grass still stick out.  Fairly easy to sweep off of the porch - which I did twice - too cold out there now.  26 degrees and still windy.  

I ran out to take pictures an our or so ago.  There was a robin sitting on the sidewalk.  Thought she was ill or too cold to fly so I went in to get a small towel to pick her up in but she flew away when I came back out.  I hope she's okay.  I didn't think to get birdfood when I was out grocery shopping yesterday in anticipation of the snow. I'm leery of putting out food anyways.  There's rodents and raccoons out there.  And squirrels.  They've totally destroyed my birdfeeder.  And don't robins eat bugs, anyway?  I suppose I could put suet out.  Squirrels won't eat that, will they?  

   Raccoons came through the yard early this morning.  Tried to get a picture of them.  They were so businesslike as they moseyed out of the across the street neighbor's fenced patio, down her drive, up across my front lawn to the chain link fence and over it to the neighbor behind.  I tapped on the glass to get one's attention and it just looked at me like "Whut?"  and I swear posed for the picture.  Too bad it came out totally blurred.  Maybe it was simply hoping I'd open the window and toss some food out.  

Waiting for Snow

Supposed to wake up to 1-3" of the white stuff tomorrow morning!   Was out in showery cold today to put lights on my bare Japanese maple.  Was going to do blue lights. Kelly said no, white.  So white they are.  All we need now is snow.