HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

The Botanical Gardens put up their holiday display recently. Here's a couple of pix.

A poinsettia tree:

And an elf and snowman:

In town, yards are decorated, too. This Snoopy is in our neighborhood, looking cheerfully at us every time we go out or come in.

This is a festive house in another neighborhood:.

While this house... This house is...  I can't describe it. These people must really enjoy the holiday! Here's the front which is off a side road.

And here's just a part of the side on the main street. They must have ten or twenty inflatables!

And I can't help adding a photo of some of the candy I make once a year, usually at Christmas. This pan is going to the photography club's party. Pralines, fudge, peanut butter and divinity. About the only thing I can cook that tastes good!

Happy holidays, everyone!

GOODBYE TO CHRISTMAS

Christmas has come and gone. It's time to think about taking down the tree and putting away the little doodads and packing up the Christmas cards so I'll have them next year to know who to send cards to.

Gooebye, angels with too-tall candles!

Goodbye, little bird-that-brings-good-luck on the tree!

Goodbye, old beloved Opus with festive Christmas antlers!

Goodbye, Christmas, goodbye!

The football bowl games have already started, but I can look forward to their ending soon.

A new year is nearly upon us, so hopes for the future loom large and gratitude for seeing it arrive is downright overwhelming.

Then we're back to the ordinary life of roof leaks and plumbing problems and stringent diets!

WEATHER

Doesn't seem like Christmas here on the island. We had a couple of cold snaps, but currently it's 73 degrees and a beautiful sunny day. That's supposed to change tomorrow. Rain and cooling off. Christmas Eve low will be  (shudder) 38 while Christmas Day will be 50 for the high!

But it seems I have some bright spots in the yard. Thank you, former owner! Below is the Christmas cactus, blooming despite my attempts to kill it this summer.

And in a secluded corner is a poinsettia. Flowered all by itself without my doing a thing, thank goodness. I'm not known for my green thumb. I always thought you had to put them in a dark closet and mutter incantations to make them turn red. Guess not.


Here's a blossom close-up.

And here's the whole bush.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas!

AFTER CHRISTMAS DOLDRUMS

We're kind of sluggish around here. No walks, barely getting out to pick up laundry. After a hectic holiday, we're back in the condo recovering. Even the cats are sluggish. (Aren't they always?)

Here's the boy cat under his denuded Christmas tree. The heater is right across from him so guess he's enjoying the heat. Due to dietary restrictions, neither he or the girl cat got ham. I think they're still sulking.

LIGHTHOUSE DECORATED

Seems like I can't get by the lighthouse at night but I'll try to soon. Here's the holiday decorations in daylight. If you look closely, you can see a tourist standing up there.

Oh, and the big thing at the bottom is our much-loved right whale statue. No kids climbing on it today.

THANKSGIVING'S OVER, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

On our morning walk, we ran into workers stringing up holiday lights on palm trees down by the pier. We supervised a while, then went on our way.

At the lighthouse, we heard music. Yep, Christmas music. Couldn't figure out where it was coming from at first. Then we looked up.

Evidently, the lighthouse is about to be decked out for the holidays, too. This year, that must include music broadcast from the top because that was certainly where it was coming from.

After a couple of songs, the music ended and people were seen working. The first picture shows the lighthouse full length, the next shows the workers on top. If I get some nighttime pictures later on, I'll post them here, too.

I love the holidays! And not just for the food.

HOLIDAY FLU

Why do we always get sick around the holidays? Is it too much wine, food and song?

So my guy has to go to the doctor and get antibiotics before his sinus infection turns into bronchitis. And he's grouchy cause he feels bad and I'm grouchy cause he's grouchy. And every year it seems to happen.

I thought moving south would fix it. Now he's saying maybe we need to consider moving further south. Like Belize.

Where they have hurricanes?  I don't think so.