Solstice

Deadline Week

Christmas and the May Fishing Opener share a common question. Inevitably, someone will ask me, "Are you ready?" The truth often is that I am not ready, for either occasion, by the time the calendar page has turned. But the day comes, and somehow we do what needs to be done, and we enjoy the result. Really, what more can one ask for? Sure, it would be wonderful to be all organized and scheduled to finish things ahead of time, but it usually doesn't happen that way in my life.

This week happens to have a number of deadlines. The largest, of course, is Christmas, and all of the preparation leading up to it. It is also time for us to reopen the resort, and I have been working to get the cabins all cleaned and prepared for our incoming guests. And of course, we are in the final stages of a remodel project that needs to be done tomorrow.

Most resort owners seem to have a knack for finishing a project just as the guest is arriving to occupy the cabin. We have been known to do that. Try as I might, I can't seem to make that challenge disappear, so I just have to deal with it. This time, though, we have been fortunate enough to have a hero or two show up, just when we needed them most. The first was a good friend who came last week to lend a more than able hand to Greg. Our friend is better than that old TV character MacGyver. Not only is he every bit as capable and knowledgeable, but he is for real! Many thanks to him for all of his help.

Our second hero showed up on Friday night, and we were definitely ready for his assistance. He was up and prepared to work bright and early on Saturday. Looks like we're going to make our deadline, with time to spare!

Frosty Photos

It was another cloudy day, but fortunately, I still have photos of the clear blue sky from a few days ago. The frost that day was not real heavy on everything, but it did seem to favor coating the littlest branches. Out of curiosity, I went looking through last year's pictures, to see what might have been happening at that time. I found the one below, which is a real stunner. We didn't get to see hoarfrost quite that thick and heavy this time around. But who knows, maybe some odd weather pattern will blow in at some point, carrying enough moisture to frost the trees. In the meantime, the pictures are fun.

It was a good day for painting, which is how I spent my time at Diamond Willow. As I walked back late in the evening, the almost-full moon was shining brightly through a light cloud cover. The snow was lit up enough to see without a flashlight. Up ahead, I saw something in the road. When it moved, I recognized it as a little fox, who was not expecting to see me. It ran ahead a bit, then paused to look back at me. When it finally figured out that I was human, it took off at a fast clip and disappeared into the woods. The most interesting part was the silent footsteps...not a sound they made, in contrast to the constant crunch of snow under my feet.

Christmas Time in the City

We are on the home stretch of our bathroom remodel, but one important element was missing: a sink. And since today happened to be the day that Paul was traveling back from college, a trip to the city was in order. Shortly after arriving, we got the word that he, too, was almost in town, so we made arrangements to meet at a central parking lot.

It wasn't long before he and his gear arrived, and we got everything settled in to the car. Then we were off to the home-improvement store, to find the sink and all of the other last minute little parts that were still needed. It took two trips into stores of this nature, but we managed to find everything. Paul wisely chose to stay in the car. It was packed so full that if he had gotten out, stuff would have spilled into his spot, and he wouldn't have made it back in.

Interestingly, for the time of year that it is, nothing of our purchases was holiday related. For that matter, it doesn't look very festive here at the lodge yet. We've been so focused on getting the project done that we barely glance at a calendar. And suddenly, we realize that it is a week until Christmas, and maybe we should be stringing up some lights and garland. There's some celebrating to do!

So the week ahead will be a busy one, but fun, too. It's amazing that a whole 'nother year is nearly over.

I made a discovery today along the way. The city has pink sunsets in December, too.Very pretty, but not quite like at home.