Yes, it is New Year's Eve and we at the angel house will be celebrating at home, once again.
That is our normal way to celebrate the New Year and after watching the 9P, 10P and 11P celebrations on TV, I take my cat, Makenna and go off to bed.
Holding her, when the fireworks begin (it's a Mexican thing).
We all wish you peace tonight and a better new year for 2022.
We definitely did not get that, in 2021.
It has been raining, on and off for the past few days. This was taken on Tuesday evening around 4PM.
It is that magical time when the sun peeks under the cloud cover and turns everything golden.
I took photos of both the front and the back of the house.
My favorite, is this one. I managed to get the palm tree to block the sun.
Shades of gold. What a beautiful end of the year sunset.
I mentioned in my Christmas Eve dinner post that I made scungilli salad.
My Husband does not like it, but I do. So I splurged and bought a can of cut scungilli.
It is an easy recipe.
Drain and rinse the cooked scungilli from the can.
Cut up some garlic (small),
green pepper (also small)
White Vinegar to cover
Oregano and Parsley to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Let it marinate for 24 hours before serving.
As I mentioned in Sunday's Christmas gift post, my Son gave us Russian Earl Grey Tea for a present. I tried it and it was good. Today was cold in the house and so I offered to make a cup for my Husband.
He said yes and tried the tea.
The first comment to me was, "Where can we get more of this tea?"
I think he liked it.
I did a half-job of making THIS recipe. I remembered the heated milk and vanilla (forgot the little bit of sugar, but that was not a problem).
It was excellent and I highly recommend this tea.
My Water Post For Today.
My friend, formally from New Jersey, reminded me that 12 years ago, we visited Barnegat Light together.
It was a peaceful day and we sat at a table together and talked while eating.
It was a cold, but nice day that I remember fondly.
Thank you, my friend, for the Holiday wishes, that nudged my brain to go find this photo.
Love that lighthouse.
We got more then this amount of presents, but it gives you an idea of what went on in the angel house this Christmas.
My Son got us a book "The Apollo Murders" by Chris Hadfield. We will see how that is.
He also got us Russian Earl Grey Black Tea from Solstice Tea Traders. Quite good, though the tea is loose, so you need an infuser.
My present to my Husband was 2 packages of Wiley Wallaby Black licorice, which I got from Smart and Final. He loves the stuff, which he found originally in Menards in Wixom, MI.
Glad I can get it locally.
The poster I bought for him is a Santa Fe Southwest Chief poster, I found on Ebay.
He rode the train several times when he was a child and I thought he would like it. We will get it framed to live in our family room
This shirt is one of my three tee-shirts that I ordered for the holidays.
Two different Austin City Limits shirts and a CVT softserve shirt.
It is another in the series of Influencers Pay Double shirts. Mine says I want my CVT (instead of MTV).
Very colorful.
Nothing for the cat this year. :-(
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.
It is just the two of us again, this year.
Covid...you gotta love the way it takes over, once again.
My Son knew something might be coming, because things were not getting better in the Fall.
He decided the 10 day trip in October was all he and his girlfriend were going to do this year
He wins and they are safe in Michigan right now.
We also got our presents out early this year, so as far as I know they will be opened today, Christmas morning.
Before we leave to show off what was received and how the day went, here is a quick look at what was made and eaten on Christmas Eve.
We had lobster tails, spaghetti with white clam sauce, fried shrimp, fried calamari and scungilli (conch) salad.
I couldn't get whole calamari, so I got a package of breaded calamari rings. Oh well...
All came out excellent and we topped it all off with a bottle of GTS Wine 2017. The late Tom Seaver's vineyard.
For dessert, I broke down and made a small amount of Struffoli. My family told me it had been decades since I made these. Well, here they are.
Most of the food was already in the house, so our food bill was not too bad this week. Yay!
I went to the Italian Deli on Wednesday to get some Italian ingredients for my Christmas Eve dinner.
While we were waiting on line, I turn to my Husband and go..."Want a Cannoli?".
He said yes and so for dessert on Wednesday, we had a cannoli.
The ones on the West Coast do not have quite the taste of an East Coast cannoli, I think they put a little bit of something (rum, anise, vanilla) in them.
No matter what, they are a treat and were thoroughly enjoyed by the two of us.
By the way, yes, we will have fish for dinner tonight. No stuffed calamari though. :-(
It's one of my favorite cameras on the Virtual Railfan site.
Skykomish, Washington, up in the Cascade Range.
A railfan died last year and the members of the Skykomish rail fans decided to dedicate a bench to her and put it by "her" tree (far right in the photo). From what I hear, she said it was her tree, though it was just growing in the area that the camera takes video of.
December came and a group of about 5 people decorated Barbara C's tree.
As the Empire Builder train passes, twice a day, they get to see Barbara C's tree.
I think that was a very nice gesture, on their part.
In case you wonder, that is the Empire Train #7 (extreme far left) passing the Skykomish Camera.
Back when I was dating my future Husband, he brought me to his friends, in Phoenix, AZ. One of the recipes she made for us, was these Bourbon Ball Cookies.
I got the recipe from her and maybe made it once. It stayed in my recipe box for decades until the other day, when my Husband put a little whiskey in his egg nog.
The smell reminded me of these Bourbon Ball Cookies and I decided to find the recipe from long ago.
They are extremely easy to make and there is NO cooking involved.
Bourbon Ball Cookies
3 C Vanilla Wafers (Ground)
1 C Pecans (Chopped)
3 Tbl Cocoa
1/2 C Whiskey
1 C Powdered Sugar (for rolling the balls in) Note: I used about 3/4 of a cup of sugar and it was plenty.
Directions
Mix thoroughly until mixture is gooey.
Make cookies into balls that are the size of cherries and then immediately roll in the powdered suger.
Cure for at least 1 day and enjoy.
This is the 2021 holiday card from the Angel Family.
It is not the best of photos, but it is the only one the two "Sons" would allow me.
I would have liked to have one without a mask on my Husband, but that's life. It's always something.
Makenna is from last Christmas, one does what one can.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
My Water Post For Today.
Juneau, Alaska disembarking from the Star Princess.
The water in the bay was very calm but beautiful to see.
You get tired of the open water, trust me.
BTW, the small windows at the far left, were where we were on this cruise. I liked the balcony, much more.
Hope you enjoy.
Here is the French Toast, presented by my Husband. He is so proud of it.
I love the container of syrup on the side and the powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
He did quite a nice job of it.
As to how it tasted, it is definitely more on the molasses side and if you like that, you will like this.
Thanks Hubby and his long time friend, Norm.
A college friend of my Husband made Dark Pumpernickel bread a few weeks ago. My Husband asked him for the recipe, because he loves dark pumpernickel.
The man told him that it is from King Arthur Flour and so I looked into it.
You can order it from them HERE and the recipe is right on the back of the box.
All it needs is 2 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil and 1 1/2 cups of water. The yeast is included in the box.
It was extremely simple, though I have a bread machine to kneed the dough.
Here is how it came out. It really rose!
We intend to make French Toast with it this weekend.
Just kidding, but I did get the presents wrapped and under the tree on Wednesday, so that is done.
I am sure we might get a few stragglers, but our exchange has happened and that means the most to me.
Thanks to the shipping bottleneck, we all made sure to order early.
I think the room looks very nice and not too overcrowded.
Come on Santa, you can always bring a few more if you like... :-)
Fort Madison Station began passenger service on Wednesday morning.
The station is the old Santa Fe station built back in the early 1900's, which means it is over 100 years old.
It was quite the challenge to bring it up to the ADA standards of today, but after some delay they made it happen.
I was so happy to see it in action.
Can't wait until I take that train, (the Southwest Chief) once again.
Each year the lemon tree gives us a different amount of lemons.
Last year we got one lemon.
This year, it's around 30 lemons.
As I mentioned before in THIS post, they are smaller than normal, but as you can see, not too small.
It is going to get down close to freezing on Tuesday night, so we took in as many close to ripe ones as we could.
There are still 17 more on the tree, at this time.
Quite a crop.
I don't get gifts from neighbors, as a general rule.
We got a knock on the door at around 2PM on Sunday and there was my across the street neighbor bringing homemade cookies.
It has never happened in the past and it was such a touching gesture from her.
I have tried her gingerbread cookies and they are excellent.
Hubby went for the chocolate ones. He said they were OK, too.
My Water Post For Today.
Geese! That's what is on the agenda today.
They made a huge line and just chugged toward the Mackinac Bridge, when we were there this summer.
I spent time in Oswego and I never saw that many zipping around.
I thought they were very cute to see.
I saw this recipe on Facebook and decided to go find it online. The Frugal Hausfrau had the Cook's Illustrated recipe and I went for it. I did not have everything needed, but I improvised using corn flakes, 2 eggs, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and parsley. It came out excellent. That glaze is to die for! Here is the recipe, do with it, what you want.
Cook’s Illustrated Meatloaf – A favorite!
Adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated/Pam Anderson recipe, this meatloaf is the pinnacle of Classic Meatloaf!
Author: Cook's Illustrated
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Category: Beef Main Dish
Cuisine: American German
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup milk, buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt (yogurt preferred)
3 pounds ground meat: use meatloaf mix (beef, veal, pork) or 50% beef & pork
2/3 cups crushed saltines (about 16) or 2/3rds cup oatmeal or 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (oatmeal preferred)
1/3 cup minced parsley, optional
1 pound bacon, optional (instructions at bottom of recipe)
Instructions
Glaze:
Glaze has been doubled. Divide into two portions, 1/2 for glazing and 1/2 for serving.
1 1/4 cup ketchup or chili sauce (chili sauce is best!)
4 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider or white vinegar
Mix all ingredients, set aside. May be warmed briefly in the microwave if your sugar has hardened and doesn’t mix in.
Meatloaf:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and garlic, saute until softened, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool.
Mix eggs with salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco or hot sauce, and your choice of milk, buttermilk or yogurt.
Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl, along with either crackers, oatmeal or bread crumbs, & the cooked onions and garlic; mix lightly with fingertips until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture does stick, add additional dairy, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and continue mixing until mixture stops sticking.)
To make in a free-form loaf: Cover a portion of a wire rack with foil a little larger than the formed meatloaf will be (use a sheet of foil the length of the roll, and width of about 8 inches); prick foil in several places with a fork so excess grease can drip down. Place a rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy cleanup. Turn meat mixture onto foil-lined rack and pat mixture into a loaf approximately 9 by 5 inches.
To make in a loaf pan: Place meatloaf mixture in loaf pan but pat into shape so it has a rather high dome and is flat for 1/2 inch around the edges. This will allow the glaze to cook nicely on top. When the second coating of glaze is ready to go on, you will probably want to pour off any accumulated fat into a can or container, (refrigerate to harden to make it easy to dispose of) which is a messy proposition but worth doing.
For both baking methods:
Brush loaf with 1/2 of the glaze set aside for glazing then bake for about 30 minutes. Remove carefully (I drain grease if using a loaf pan) then gently add the remainder of the glaze without disturbing the first coat.
Return to oven and bake until the loaf registers 160 degrees, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. (1 hour to an hour and ten minutes total.) Cool for at least 20 minutes – it really does make a better meatloaf. Slice and serve with reserved sauce, if you’ve doubled.
To use bacon:
To use bacon on this recipe: Use the foil on rack method of baking. Form loaf, then brush with 1/2 of the glaze. Top with the bacon (going over the short sides across the loaf) overlapping each slice slightly. Tuck any excess under the loaf. Notes
No need to saute the onions: place oil and onions in a small, microwave-safe container and microwave for about 2 minutes, covered.
We actually had a bit of rain on Thursday morning. That sometimes gives us a better than usual sunset.
In this case it was a very beautiful one that I happened to catch when I watered some of my plants.
More rain in the forecast for Monday. Substantially more rain.
Especially for the Ventura - Santa Barbara area.
Good luck to them.
Tomorrow my latest Grand Nephew turns 1 month old.
I have an ornament for his older sister on my tree.
I felt like I needed to make one for each of my Grand Nephews who were born this year.
So, there they are.
Little Miles, slightly older Isaac and of course, Lucia from 2 years ago.
Someday I hope to meet them in person. Thank goodness for Cluster.
A day late with the celebration, but Medicare Open Enrollment is finally done!
I have discussed this with my Sister and Brother-In-Law and we are just so tired of seeing all those stars halking the Medicare Advantage Plans on TV. One after the other.
William Shatner, George Foreman, Jimmie Walker and Joe Namath all touted their plan and told you that it is perfect for you. No co-pays, free dental, hearing aids and eye exams, etc...
I have a plan and all that, but even I was tired of watching and I don't expect any of those "experts" to actually be using a medicare advantage plan.
Hopefully gone for another 10 months.
My Husband's cousin, Anne posted a new video yesterday.
What makes it so special is that she accompanied her 9 year old daughter, Andie.
They are playing Bach's Ave Maria together.
She said it was for a school performance. What a wonderful memory for them both.
Passing on the torch to a new generation. As my Husband said, her great grandmother would be so proud.
I had bacon that had to be used. I had eggs, much more than normal. What might work with these 2 ingredients? Quiche!
I didn't want a pie crust and then I saw THIS recipe from King Arthur's Flour and decided that potato works for me.
A few tips, right from the start. Oil or butter the pie plate, before you place the potatoes in the plate. It was difficult to remove, but would work much better if greased. You can cover the rim of the potatoes, to keep it from burning. My Husband didn't care this time, so this is what we got. I might add an extra egg next time, to come closer to the top of the plate. The recipe comments recommend using whatever you have in the house. I used the bacon, instead of muchrooms. Oh, my Husband recommends adding onions inside the egg mixture. :-)
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup (85g) onion, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/4 cup (30g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled
*Substitute 2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch, for a gluten-free version.
Filling
2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil
1 large leek, sliced washed and drained (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 cups (283g) sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup (113g) Fontina cheese or Swiss cheese, grated
5 large eggs*
1/2 cup (113g) milk
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
*If using a 10" pan, increase to 6 large eggs.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a 9" or 10" deep-dish pie pan. Set up a strainer over a bowl.
Grate the onions into the strainer, and drain for 10 minutes, pressing out the extra liquid.
When the onions are drained, transfer them to a bowl and combine them with the salt, thyme and flour.
Grate the potatoes into the strainer. Press out any extra liquid, then combine with the onion mixture, mixing to combine.
Pat the mixture into pie pan and up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes to let the steam escape.
After 25 minutes, brush the potatoes with oil, then bake for 15 minutes more, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 350°F.
While the crust is baking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook until the leeks are wilted, and the mushrooms give up their liquid and it cooks away (you don't want the vegetables to be juicy). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the vegetables to the baked crust, and sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.
Whisk the eggs, milk and Worcestershire together, and pour slowly over the vegetables.
Return the quiche to the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set.
Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
My Water Post For Today.
Back to Michigan!
We drove about an hour north of where my Son lives and what did we cross?
The Saginaw River.
It's not much of a memory, but I can now say that I have visited Saginaw. We also got gas, on the way home, if you care. Two memories.
"It took me 4 days to hitch hike from Saginaw..."
I had 3 birds on the neighbor's chimney...and then this bird on my fence.
My best guess is that it's a Cooper’s Hawk, but I might be wrong.
No matter what, it was pretty cool to see and (of course) it flew off just after I took this photo.
One never knows what will show up in our yard, even after 36 years.
Just keep the snakes out and I am happy.
Here it is! Well, most of it.
I have a half box of decorations to place on the tree, but it is close to done. I also still need to put out the holiday decorations on the coffee table. Little things I still need to do.
I did the fireplace different, two years running. Last year I put the little measuring cups that came with my collagen powder, onto some left over yarn I had.
It was cute and this year, it hangs in the opening between the formal living room and the dining room.
To change it up, this year I made the fireplace Hanukkah themed, though I still have to dig out the stockings and hang them.
I got some ornaments put down at the bottom of the tree, to amuse the cat. She has found the ones with catnip in them already.
She was waiting for dinner, when I took the photo. That is why she is absent from the picture.
I expect her to hang out on the top of the couch, when she is finished eating.
The tree is going up today, so things will change, in regard to where Makenna sleeps.
This is her, not quite knowing what to do with herself.
So instead, she looks at me as if I can answer that question.
Why does a cat need prompting, to find the best location to rest?
Makenna, you KNOW what you need! Now go find it.
Seriously, she makes my life.
I can't resist taking a photo of my Husband doing his traditional once-a-year, latke making.
He is quite good at it and his family recipe never disappoints.
This year we only used 5 mostly small russet potatoes, so we do not spend the entire week eating them.
They came out good and went well with the tri-tip roast.
Recipe is HERE, for any who want to try them.
The year has flown by.
My latest version of my Thesis was due in on Sunday and so I told my Husband that I could take some time off and help decorate the outside on Monday.
Instead of the few hours he thought it was going to take, it took a few in the morning and then after a lunch break and vaccuming the house break, we were at it again.
Basically all day.
It is not very different from last year, but I like to show off what is happening at the angel house.
The last day of the Northeast Corridor mini-tour was Tuesday November 23rd, in Syracuse, NY.
My old stomping grounds!
They seemed to get through it all OK, minus Michael Leonhart, who came up positive and had to quarantine for 10 days.
I think they learned a lot along the way and will be better prepared going out next year.
People who went to the shows all seemed to enjoy it and Donald was very upbeat and cheerful.
May 27, 2022 is my date at the Hollywood Bowl. We will see if it feels safe enough to go to it.
My Water Post For Today.
A trip in the wayback machine. It's the 4th of July in Michigan and we spent an hour at Walled Lake. Which is right down the street from my Son's home.
Very tony and well worth the stop.
I am glad there are spots that the public is allowed to go to. We actually could have had a picnic here, if we wanted.
I love the rocks, the shore and bridge. I hope you enjoy.
In between writing and correcting my Thesis, I managed to take down the photos on the credenza and dust it. Preparation for decorating it for Hanukkah, today.
I have gelt that I bought a few weeks ago at Rite Aid and I found 2 boxes of candles (also at Rite Aid). Since when did Rite Aid become my Hanukkah holiday headquarters? LOL
So I brought down the boxes that have the decorations in them and the house will begin its yearly transformation.
Enjoy the last look at Thanksgiving...and Happy Hanukkah.
I spent an hour or so on Thanksgiving morning decorating the cookies that I bought from Confections.
It was quite a process and I learned a lot along the way.
Definitely do not get close to the edge of the cookies, with the icing. Give the icing some room to move a bit, without falling over the edge.
Do one cookie at a time and decorate it immediately. The icing dries fast and you end up making a mess when decorating, otherwise.
Don't bother adding names to the cookies, the icing is too wet to do that.
All in all I thought they came out excellent. Yum.
The U.S. Post Office has made some changes since October 1st.
One of them is that it takes MUCH longer for a letter to get where it is going. Forget 3 days, it takes upwards of a week or 2 to get anywhere. I am sure morale is quite low now days.
So it was with quite a bit of fear, that I saw my package of sugar cookies from Confections sent to me this way.
Obviously, fragile means drop other things onto the box and smash it.
I opened it and they were just fine. Thank you Confections for the way you shipped the cookies inside the box. Very cushioned and loved.
Now off to decorate them for the next holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Ours is quiet, once again.
Only the three of us (Makenna counts, right?)
It is going to be small, but hopefully good food. The photo is the prep for the stuffing. Got it done a day ahead and we will combine it and cook it today.
No big turkey, just turkey parts this year.
Enjoy the day.
First Off, Happy Birthday Husband of mine. :-)
My Son was drinking something during our Facebook video chat. It looked good to me, so inquired as to what it was.
It ends up being London Fog Latte.
He nicely sent me the link and I tried it. Yum.
Earl Grey London Fog Latte
Ingredients 1 cup (8 oz.) strongly-brewed earl grey tea, brewed with 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
1/2 cup (4 oz.) steamed milk* (any kind)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar**, or more or less to taste
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
Notes:
Brew earl grey tea and lavender together, and steep for 3 minutes (or according to tea instructions). Remove tea bag and strain out the lavender. Stir in remaining ingredients until combined. Serve warm.
*If you — like me — do not have a milk steamer, you can just heat the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is simmering but not boiling. (Very important – do not let the milk boil!)
**You can use any kind of sweetener for this tea
I got my booster on Monday and what an easy process.
Compared to the 2 hours I waited on line at Magic Mountain, this was a piece of cake.
Check in, jab, done!
Maybe 15 minutes...tops.
I didn't even have to wait.
Side effects: Arm hurt for a day. That's it!
My Water Post For Today.
I have only been to Windsor, Canada twice. Once in 2006 and once with my Son and Husband in 2018. This was the later date.
We booked a hotel just across from downtown Detroit and spent an hour or so walking the parks that are on the waterfront, in Canada.
This is a photo taken looking south at the Ambassador Bridge.
A very beautiful view, as are all the photos taken from that area.
For a city that has had so much trouble over the years, Detroit is truly beautiful, too. Canada, is (of course) stunning.
I hope you enjoy.
I read about a small bakery in Lufkin, Texas last June. I urge you to read the story first, HERE.
I don't remember how I heard about it, I assume, Facebook and I "Liked" them. I knew I could not get to Lufkin, during the Covid crisis, at least, and they do not do online selling, so I thought a few likes was all I would be able to do for them. It has been a fun 5 months, as they bake the most unusual sugar cookies I have ever seen. A month or so ago, they came up with an online cookie selling kit and they sell so fast, that by the time the West Coast is up and running, there are no more cookies left.
They heard our plea to sell the cookies when the West Coast wakes and so on Saturday, they did put the website up at 8AM pacific time.
By a pure fluke, I had finished my normal look at Facebook and came back to the top and there it was...at 2 minutes after 8AM. You can see their website, without logging into Facebook HERE.
I bought some.
Not cheap, but I wanted to show support to them, in a tangible way.
Thanks for the LGBTQ love and love for all humans and animals.
Confections...you are great.
Makenna decided to take my seat on Friday.
At first, she was trying to get to my food at the desk. I would have nothing to do with that.
So about 10 minutes later I saw that she was sitting at my couch chair.
I couldn't resist, I took her photo.
She is a strange cat.
It is happening on 11/19 at 1AM on the East Coast and 10PM today on the West. You can watch it on the website of the Griffith Observatory, HERE.
I thought I would give a heads-up to go walk outside and see what is going on in the sky.
I figure I will take a quick look before bed at 11PM.
What can I lose. :-)
We have been swimming several times a week at LA Fitness.
It ends up that we do Tuesday and Thursday at this pool.
Wednesday and Saturday we switch to Golden Valley AKA: Santa Clarita or Canyon Country.
We had started at the outdoor pool in Stevenson Ranch, due to our fear of being near others.
As we realized that it seems to be pretty safe, we moved to the other pools, as they opened up.
It has been almost 5 months and we still do what we have done from the start. We do not shower there, we just rinse off by the pool, get dressed and shower at home.
We appreciate seeing our friends, once again and getting in our exercise.
Just a month to go, before we hit the height of winter.
The shortest day of the year known as the December Solstice or Winter Solstice, here in North America.
Looking to the west, you can see that the sun sets way to the south of my house, at this time of year.
Always beautiful to capture.
The windmill just adds to it.
As things are dying for the winter, this rose decided it was time to bloom.
Double Delight is a wonderful rose and unfortunately, I planted it all the way in the corner of my backyard, by the windmill.
It took a little walk without my shoes on, to get this photo.
Hopefully, nothing attacked my feet. :-)
So worth it, though.
My Water Post For Today.
I have shown off other photos of this journey on the Empire Builder, but not this one.
I grabbed 4 photos to add to a group I now belong to on Facebook about the Empire Builder.
I wanted to show those who dismiss Portland as less beautiful than the Seattle journey.
Spending hours following the Columbia River was definitely worth it to me.
I hope you enjoy.
I know I am missing those sunsets at 6PM.
I literally look up from what I am doing and it is dark out my back door.
Then I have to go running to water the plants and make dinner.
I thought I would bring back a photo from a few weeks ago.
When life had 6PM sunsets.
