a half smile...

Midnight mass on the mountain is Christmas.

Christmas, filled with laughter & joy, when all the extended family get together.

One year we got such a honking big tree the Cowman put it in a tire rim off the stock trailer and tied it down with guy wires nailed to the floor.  Geez, you had to step over the guy wires to get to the bedrooms. The kids thought it was a great giant jungle gym. A cranky ol' cowdog named Ernie, ate all the ornaments off the bottom of the tree, then proceeded to puke sparkly things for days.

Ol' Ernie was inherited from one of the cowboys, he was too old to work cattle, but still hell on cats.  What a cranky ol thing he was, but when he loved you he would protect you with all he had.  If you put warm bacon grease drippings on his dog food, he would positively Protect and Adore you.  Simple things made him happy: lying in the sun by the gate, one ear cocked for the unwary, chasing cattle in his dreams, and a half smile if the bacon grease provider chanced by.

   

Please Understand...

Decorating is done, baking is done, notes for grandkids are nearly done, and the really old guy is still out flying me in the RC helos war games...
Boughs of evergreens adorn the house, lights glow, Christmas hymns play softly, and the fireplace sparks a thousand memories of the end of an era. 
All will surely be cheerful & light again, but til then please understand...

Outside In...

Since it's not the deer Season here, and the really old guy is pretty soundly destroying me in our pitched RC helo battles...

I should be decorating for Christmas, but I have not even started. I have baked pies,

 

 but can't figure out how to send them to the Corpsman...

Who by the way, said I could share some of the latest pics he has taken this deployment, so I picked three:

outside the wire

inside the wire

for a friend's wife and kids back home

Beyond Words...

Stayed up late last night, standing outside, watching the snow fall.  No wind, so the flakes just drifted down, so quiet, so beautiful.  Loved every minute of it.

 ***

My grand daughter Ali, will soon be flying home from college for Christmas.  Can't wait to hug her.  

 

I'm a hugger, and my crew knows it, since they have been hugged on from birth.  It's what I do, it's me, it's my I love you beyond words... 

Tis the Season...

It came to pass... 

this cold morning as I hunkered down in the brush with my wiley Jack Russell tucked inside my old barn coat.   Occasionally tossing oak leaves into the air to check wind direction. Mostly, because who wants to be down wind of a farting JR.  

 Longing for another cup of coffee from my favorite Back Off Athol Idaho thermos. Dad's old 30-06 at the ready, as I glass the far ridges. 

There, in the distance a slight movement... the telltale flash of early morning sun off a flicked ear...

  

Steady now, as I wipe the deer jerky drool from my hunter's safety red/orange lipstick.

  

Come to granny blue eyes... come a little closer so your in range. Steady, keep coming, your almost...

Ahhh, that's plenty close enough, in fact it would help if you ran off a bit, damn.

Now, the neighbors are going to complain.

Wait... I can improvise, I have one of dad's compound bows in the garage, or... 

What do you mean the season's over here?!   There are signs every where "Tis the Season".