December 19, 2011

Caught the mountains just seconds
before they disappeared

And speaking of taking things for granted (as I was yesterday), I am confident that this is one of the main reasons for so much waste of our natural resources.  For our loss of freedoms.  For our unpreparedness.  For our current economic situation.  We take way too many things for granted in this country, when in fact, we should be taking nothing for granted.  One more thing that nature (and the Boy Scouts) teaches you - be prepared!  Like that old saying: Expect the best, prepare for the worst.

Okay, I think I'm done ranting for a while. . .

Sunday was another beautiful day with very little valley fog.  JB fixed an amazing breakfast - individual quiches in ramekins.   First he lined each dish with thin sliced ham.  Then he added salsa, chopped red onions and parsley.  He put one whipped egg in each dish and topped it with Swiss cheese.  Oh my!  The recipe actually called for fresh chopped tomatoes and scallions, which we will try next time, but the way he made it was yummy!

I took the above photo Saturday afternoon when I went out for firewood.  Once again the fog had been slowly climbing towards us most of the day.  After the mountains disappeared, little tendrils of white tried sneaking over the ridge and through our trees, but they never quite reached the house.  By sunset, the fog had receded back down the canyon a bit and the mountains had re-appeared.

In the middle of one night last week, Larry's and Elsie's little beagle woke them up in the middle of the night.  When they went downstairs to see what was going on, they discovered some does in their yard watching two young bucks fighting.  As they stood there watching, more deer arrived, some of them wandering into their garden to nibble at the remaining greens.  What a sight that would have been!  I really need to get those two interested in photography.

Larry and Elsie visited us last night and we exchanged Christmas gifts and goodies.  In addition to a beautifully wrapped gift she added to our growing pile, Elsie gave us fresh garlic from her garden and some Chinese pork she had made. Yum!  Did I mention that I LOVE Christmas?

There is a fascinating book I bought years ago entitled, "Chop Wood, Carry Water, A Guide to Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Everyday Life," by the editors of New Age Journal, published in 1984.  If you are not of that mindset, don't let the title deter you.  It's all about getting in touch with what is most important in life and realizing your dreams, even in spite of the physical world seems to be telling you.

Thought for the day:  Your mind will be like its habitual thoughts: for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.   Marcus Aurelius