A Walk In The Park…

…with Arboretum volunteer, Barry, looking at things, and talking photos. Sunny, for a change, but the light didn’t last long.

Afternoon With Ben and James…

…while mom attended to other things.

Photo from yesterday

Soccer and wrestling in the basement; games, reading, and conversation elsewhere. Understandably, the boys were thoroughly captivated by The Story Of Ping.

Lazy Flakes

Cold. And cloudy until just before sunset.

When the sun came out I went for a walk—all the way up the hill in the park. Although my gait was irregular, I made it there and back, and it felt good to be out, walking in the cold.

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When the winter chrysanthemums go,
There’s nothing to write about
But radishes.
—Basho

Footprints

Windy, cloudy, and cold, and the feeder well used.

And, in anticipation of the coming cold, iceboats out of the barn.

Welcome Winter?

Light snow coming down, thermometer dropping. Serious cold in the forecast.

When it became apparent that the level of seed was not dropping in the feeder, I went out and cleared the blockage caused by the recent freezing rain.

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awakened
as ice bursts
the water jar

—Bashō

Ben and James On Stage

Another Christmas program.

Catching Up…

…with old friends.

Nice time, dreary weather. Not a good night to be wildlife—moderately heavy and very cold rain, tossed around by a swirling wind.

Out To Watertown…

…with the neighbors, for coffee at the Berres Bro. HQ and coffee shop. On the way we stopped at the most famous octagonal house in Wisconsin.

Maddie Concert

Great choir singing fun, multi-part songs.

Bit of sunshine in otherwise gray day.

Needle and Nail

Quiet Sunday, mostly needlework and woodworking. A walk worked in too, though, as part of knee retraining.

a crust of bread

jumps with the sparrows

round the courtyard

Dina Franin

Damp and Dim

Not much daylight, and even darker with daylong mist. One nice retirement option is to not get up until morning has broken, but that’s now after 7.

Political Discussion…

…with friend, and failed state senate candidate, Steve, at Daddy Maxwell’s in Williams Bay. Horrendous drive in driving snow on the way there, so the meeting started late. Back roads were the way to go, as the main thoroughfares were crawling.

Several good ideas on how to improve the Wisconsin Democratic Party—in between bites of toast and marmalade. Drive home no problem as the roads were either melted or plowed.

All Decked Out

‘Tis the season.

And pie too!

Gallery Reception…

…for neighbor Sylvia. Q and A was good because Sylvia is a good storyteller, as in the story of her grandmother’s spirit inhabiting first, a stuffed owl, and later, after that was destroyed by a cat, real ones.

Warm…

…but still I ice on the ponds.

Brief snow shower early afternoon.

Another Day…

…that got away.

After a slow start, down to Santa’s workshop, where things did not speed up much.

Last night’s dinner of steak, peppers and onions, along with spinach/artichoke pasta was a hit.

Rare Event…

…steak on the Green Egg. But first I had to use a broom to encourage an opossum to get out from under, prior to ignition.

Much of the afternoon spent in Santa’s workshop.

Breakfast in Whitewater…

…(Arboretum stuff), dinner at Old Fashioned in Madison.

‘Tis The Season…

…for Christmas programs. Tonight, Becca on stage.

Fine Art

Neighbor Sylvia opened a one person show at the U which we and other neighbors walked over to see.