Hooters, Drive By Shootings and the Color Orange

And did I mention just a little photo intense? Sorry, Dial Up users!

Christmas found us gathered around the tree dark and early. Dark, because we beat the sun. Which truth be told wasn't all that difficult since it was cloudy and, yes...still snowing. We've probably had about 18" of it so far.

#1 on my list of wants this year was a GPS. I have no clue how to work one, but decided that if I want to make maps of the trails I've been on, that a GPS was the way to do it. I'm also wanting to use it on our trip next summer in Oregon so that we aren't lost indefinitely up in the Steens Mountains. City Boy did not disappoint, and I found myself with a neon orange contraption which comes complete with a learning curve. I didn't ask for the learning curve, but it would appear they come free of charge.

A large box which had been sitting in the corner of the room was labeled with the names of Desperate, Darling, and Geek Boy. The three of us could not figure out what City Boy could have found that we would all be interested in. The children shredded the paper and pulled out a box which said...

As opposed to fake guitar sounds???

This has proven to be an interesting gift to give three people who haven't got a musical pinky between them. However, the Geek Boy sat down with it at the computer and figured out how to tune it, Darling believes she'd like to take lessons, and once the two of them are done playing I think I'll hang it on the wall. Not bad, City Boy...not bad.

I find it amazing that all the work and preparation that goes into Christmas can be completely dismantled in a matter of a few brief moments, leaving expensive wrapping paper strew across a room in heaps and piles. I think next year I'll just use dollar bills to wrap gifts...

Hey...wait! What's that picture doing in here!!!

Sigh...City Boy has never been able to catch my good side with that camera...

Once the drunkeness of Christmas had worn off at home we headed north to Little Canada, eh, to visit my parents and eat some of the left overs from Christmas Eve. I thought you may enjoy the "Drive By Shootings" that I took as we traveled down the road.

Frozen cow field beneath snow covered trees and Christmas Fog

Frozen Wiser Lake. Sure sign my parents must live in Canada, eh?
No way lakes freeze in the northwest...

A few short miles from the Canadian Border, eh.
Look! Pavement! Sweet, beautiful pavement...

Hoot! Hoot!

Did I promise you hooters? Well, I lied...there's only one. One wee little owl that collided with a very big thud on our living room window. City Boy thought for sure the cats would get there before him, but they didn't. Imagine his surprise when he found an owl! The poor thing was a bit stunned and since we didn't want a cat to end up with an unexpected owl feast on Christmas, we set it inside a box until it came to it's senses. It wasn't long before it flew back out into the wooded winter wonderland.

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