Grounded

From the looks of the trailer, we're grounded until the snow melts.
Boss is all bundled up in his winter coat and doesn't mind taking a vacation.
But he does wish that darn bird would get off his back!

With preparations for Christmas in full swing, I've had little time to post and almost no time to visit other blogs (a common problem right now, I'm sure), but I'll do my best to catch up later.
Meanwhile, happy holidays to all!

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Available Until Spring

Cozy fixer-upper nests for lovebirds with growing family.  Excellent neighborhood. Reasonable rent!
Unfurnished. No central heat, but plenty of insulation. Great ventilation and lofty views.  

To view lovely skies from all over the world, click here.

The Vibrant Virtuosa

V is for Voice.
Our versatile varmint could well be vaulted to vocal fame by this video.  If you venture to view it, you will ventilate over her well-versed and  vigorous talent. If only she had a violin accompaniment, her sotto voce tones would vibrate like a vicar's vespers.  She is a vesicle of pure operatic talent, don't you agree?  And yet, she is no vain vixen.  She never has the vapors nor does she flutter her lashes behind a veil.  She would be the victor in any contest, I think, but she does not seek to validate her venerable vocals on TV or to any other vast audience.  She does not wish to become more visible.  She is satisfied with her own valorous, velvety value.
What? Her voice is vexing, you say?
Vamoose then, before this veers into a violent vendetta vis-a-vis your vile and vulgar taste!

For more of Denise Nesbitt's ABC's, click here.

Frosted Flakes

On Sunday morning, the snow came down in big frosty flakes:
White blanketed the neighbor's horses:

Boss pawed for grass:

Mischief (wisely) hung out in the shed and munched hay:

Daisy frolicked (as she always does):

The bird feeder was in demand:

One day later, sun sparkles on the pasture, and the ice-encased trees wink at the clearing sky:

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Firsts

First baby, first dog, first kiss:

A first from the past:

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Starlings' Party

The starlings congregated on the windowsill this morning.  Since the temperature was minus 10 degrees F, they were looking for a spot of warmth. 

"What's up in there," this guy wanted to know.  "Can I come inside?"

"No?  How rude," he seems to say.

"Can't you see it's so cold that my brother's beak is freezing?" 

For more cute critters, click here.

Winter Wonderland

Our granddaughter chose to be born during the first good snowfall of the year.  We didn't take any photos of the weather on that dark and stormy night, but some glorious weather followed.    

A blue sky over the Wasatch Range's snow-covered peaks - even taken from a shopping center parking lot - is a glorious sight. 
To clarify, this is the view from a Salt Lake City parking lot (we were visiting the grandbaby and shopping in the big city this past week).  We see the mountains from Roosevelt, but they aren't as dramatically close. 

For more beautiful and varied sky views, click here.

Our Littlest Sweetheart

On Sunday evening, we greeted our newest grandchild. 
Meet our little sleeping beauty:

She's beautiful when she's awake, too!

She is our fourth grandchild, but the only one within easy driving distance.  We returned home today, but we'll see her again over the holidays.  She really is a special Christmas treat!

Christmas Treat

Since we've lived in Utah, one of our family traditions has been to trek out into the national forest to find a Christmas tree. 

Some years, the snow is deep, but not this year.  It was easy to get to 9500 feet by road.

After a short hike and some searching, we found a pretty little tree.

Here it is, all dressed up.  We have our Christmas "treat", as my daughter used to call the tree when she was little.

P.S.  We had snow over the weekend!  

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Berry Hawkish

We first saw this hawk diving into some bushes near the bird feeder, trying to catch a sparrow.  He didn't succeed.  Later, we found him perching on the crabapple tree, watching us watching him.  Our best guess is that he's a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coopers_Hawk
Do you agree? 

For more cute or unusual critters, click here.

Thanks very much to Oh My Goddess.  She presented me with the December 4th post of the week Goddess Award  for my recent post Very Berry.

The Eagle Has Flown

On a drive into the mountains this week, Steve noticed a large bird perched in an aspen.

I got out to sneak closer for a photograph, but it flew before I got very far.  It was a huge bird with a white tail.  Its head also appeared to be white. 

A bald eagle?  If so, it must have been migrating south, because it wasn't close to any body of water at that point.  Many bald eagles congregate along the Green River in the winter.  Perhaps that was its destination. 

Wherever it was headed, this bird certainly looked majestic as it flew over the mountainous landscape.

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Tacky, Tawdry, and Tarnished

T is for Trash.
Finding trash along the trail really ticks me off.  It's enough to give me tachycardia.
Near a two-track, tripping over trash is all too common. 

There's tin trash,

Trash from thirst quenching,

Tattered and tragic trash. Tissues, treads, tinsel, tossed, or thrown,

or simply lost. 

For all of which I threaten a thrashing.

Leave no trace, I entreat these untidy tenants of Mother Earth.
Do not litter our terra firma. 
Take care of our terrain, and be thankful  it tolerates our sometimes unintentional, always tactless mistreatment. 

As they thrust their tedious waste upon earth's tenuous tableau, what are people thinking?  Or are they thinking at all? 

For more of Denise Nesbitt's ABC meme, click here.