Shadows on the wall created by our lighted garland on the stair banister.

We spent a quiet weekend hanging out around the house mostly. It was mostly foggy and drizzly all weekend long. Pretty gray. It’s still foggy out there this morning and in the mid 40’s. Today we’re supposed to get thunderstorms and more rain with temps in the 50’s. Not exactly wintry Christmas weather! It does this to me every year it seems. It taunts us with a few small snowfalls early on, then zip. So far so much for their predictions of a heavier-than-normal snowfall for this coming winter. But … it’s not winter officially yet and to their credit they did say it would mostly occur in January & February. Last year was so disappointing in the snow department that I was hoping it would make up for it this year. Patience, Lynne.

On Saturday we finished decorating the tree. To make up for the lack of snow outside we created our own snowstorm on our tree by decorating solely with the crocheted snowflakes my Mom made for us.

Alex helped with this photo.

Our neighbors (Aileen with the chickens) had their annual company Christmas party at their house yesterday. Every year her husband hitches up his big John Deer tractor to a large flathead trailer and they take their guests on a “hay ride” minus the hay. Last night it was foggy and drizzling when I let the dogs out after dark and happened to see Bruce driving the festively lit trailer up from their barn. I waited a few minutes, then went and stood on my front step. When I saw them coming I flashed our outside house lights three times and as they drove by waved and shouted “Merry Christmas” as the people on the trailer stood up and waved and shouted back. The sound of carols drifted along behind them as they made their way down our street. Sweet.

I am also hoping to catch Fire Truck Santa when he makes the rounds this year. We’ve missed him so many years in a row now it’s sad. The first year we saw him I thought someone’s house in the neighborhood was on fire when I heard the sirens, but it was just our volunteer fire department making the rounds with Santa strapped to the front of the engine. Here is a video of another version of Fire Truck Santa in our town in 2010. Funny, heh? I hope to catch him this year as he drives by our house and get some photos. Here’s hoping!

Small town living—you’ve gotta love it!