Random pics from Christmas

You better watch out! Paw Paw the gansta is checking his list twice!

This is a note that Rudolph apparently left for the kids....they were ecstatic!

Snow aftermath

Well, the storm did not drop as much snow as was predicted. We still had to go out and do the snow removal thing, though. The drill is that I snowblow a path down the sides of both vehicles and then the whole driveway portion behind where my X is in the pic below. Kaye then comes out and knocks the snow off of both vehicles and moves them onto the area that I just cleared. I then clear the rest of the driveway, including where we normally park our vehicles.
This is a shot down the front of the house from the garage. You can see that we had some wind with this storm. There is some drifting in a line going directly parallel with the house. It did go all the way to the garage (where I am taking the pic from), but it has been obscured by the snow thrown by the blower.
My X before Kaye brushed it off. You can see more of the drifting in front of it.
The Beast. And the snowblower.
I hate evergreens.
Playing with my new camera.

Snow Storm

We started getting the first of what they are saying is going to be a pretty big snowfall.

These bottom two are videos.

Random Pics

I don't know why these two curl up and sleep in this rocker. They do it fairly often. They usually don't get along this well.
There is a snow storm starting. The Weather Channel page for our zip code says "Blizzard" for Sunday. I've never seen that before. I've seen Few Snow Showers, Snow Showers, Snow, and Heavy Snow, but never Blizzard. That can't be good.

This is a fireplace downstairs that we never use.
Gumbo trying to stay out of everyone's way. She is a very good cat. I would say number 2 in the house.
OK. We're down to one cat in the rocker.

Kaye and Morgan were playing Connect 4.
Pierre was waiting in the kitchen for some food activity. This is his launching spot.
Punjabe having a one-word conversation with Kaye.
"It's OK to come down now. I killed it. It won't hurt you."

Remember that you can left click on any pic to open it up.

I guess Winter is here

Kaye had to go on an errand a while ago. Of course, the drill is to go out, knock the snow off of the driver's door and above, open the door, start the vehicle, close the door, and then do the rest of the vehicle while it is warming up. By the time you finish and get into the vehicle, you are ready for some heat.
Sometimes, you have to do a little chicken dance while you are brushing.
Start at the middle of the windshield and work your way towards yourself so that you don't duplicate work.

The High School Semiformal Dance

Mason took his girlfriend, Ellen, to the Semiformal last night. They had to have the whole entourage with them, of course. They stopped at our house before the event for pictures.
This is Lindi (on the right) and some other girl (on the left). They are both dateless and just going to the dance together with Mason and Ellen. They're not wierd or anything, just dateless.
This is Katlyn with Mitchell. Katelyn is also dateless but going to the dance with Ellen's brother. I know......It's not a date. Just going as friends.
Katelyn again with Morgan. She used to be a bunny, you know. In a costume. For the marching band's show. Morgan is a big rabbit enthusiast.
Of course, Gumbo had to get into the picture somehow.
I guess it went well. It is amost noon on the day after and Mason is still sleeping.

Picking out a tree

We made our annual trip to the local nursery/farm store. It is called Ontario Orchards. This year, we decided to have a Fraser Fir. That is what we choose most years. They usually have a great selection. This year, however, you could choose between a 3' tree and a 9' tree (maybe it's not that bad, but you get my drift). We went with a tall one and had them cut it down and center drill the stump.
If we had gone one day earlier, we wouldn't have had to deal with snow on the tree. Now we have to let it sit in the garage for a day while the snow melts and drips off before we can bring it into the house. Below, Mason is walking behind me as we check out the selection.
Morgan has his eye on one. He likes the Noble Firs. So does his dad. Those aren't available here. They are a Pacific northwest tree, I think. In any case, you can't find them here. Kaye likes the Frasers because they drop almost no needles during the time the tree is in the house.

Here it is. Kind of tall because this shot is before the hack job.
Gumbo is helping by cleaning the mantle so that we can hang the stockings.
She is a heat seeking feline. She can't wait until we light the woodstove. We usually light it in early October. This year, though, we were able to wait longer because of....well, you know.
Throw another log on, dude!

Fire, Sausage Bread, and Scrabble

Kaye made some of her sausage bread. She had to keep us at bay while she took a couple of pictures of it. That stuff is TREMENDOUS!
LOOK! There's another one!
Morgan chillin' by the woodstove. It was12ºF outside when I took this pic.
OK. Everyone concentrate now. Good cat.....
Bad cat.
Mason working his little brain trying to come up with a word with more than 2 letters in it.Oh the shame. Spugniltz isn't a word after all.
Is there any of that sausage bread left?
The winning board. Kaye 168, Greg 149, Morgan 119, Mason 96. Mitchell was reading a book on the sofa by the fire.
Yeah, yeah. It's a Yiddish-Swahili derivation of a Pig Latin word. That's legal. I read it somewhere.
All in all, a good relaxing Saturday.

Marching Band Banquet

The yearly Marching Band Banquet was held recently. Mason was O so excited. The food was actually very good for one of these things. Of course, the whole thing was way too long. I have come to realize that they all are.
He got to hang out with his friends. This is "Uncle Penne". He is a tremendous trombone and tuba player. He is first chair in the all-region or all-state band or something like that. A real player. This is Mason with his girlfriend, Ellen (center), and the girl who wears the bunny costume during the band's show. Both of the girls are seniors this year. Ellen's dad, by the way, owns the local meat market/grocery store.
Here's Morgan with the bunny. She seems to like him. A little too much of an age difference for my taste, though. He's in 8th grade and she is graduating. She seems nice, though.
My shirt collar keeps getting smaller. What's up with that? Hey.....You gonna eat that?