Christmas in my mind…

It was a Christmas day like no other, but so like what Christmas really stands for. A day out of life-as-usual. I was not in a hot tropical land, far from family, though there was joy in those days as well. I was not surrounded by children and family, raising lives on a farm, though that time was not free from moments of sorrow. For these reasons I had to write down my day this year. Because the details of the fabric will fade from memory.

I started the day with tea and presents. It was bitter cold so I pushed up the thermostat, grabbed my new book and headed back under the blankets to read. The sun was streaming in painting everything buttery gold, and a  marathon of “Christmas Story” played on the TV.

“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”

Alice jumped up to join me and we settled in to wait to the thermometer outside to read “tolerable with lots of clothes if you keep moving.”

I promised Alice all week that she would have a special Christmas Day walk. She lost her little pea-brain when we pulled into the barnyard, bouncing around in the truck like it was on fire. Night was happy to leave the hay piles and come in for a good grooming session.  I decided the conditions were so icy and frozen, we wouldn’t need a saddle as we would just be walking.

The sky was that impossible blue of deep winter and shadows were long though it was still midday.

On our way to the cabin we “jumped” three large deer, I just caught the flash of their tails as they headed up the mountain. Later, I could see their fresh tracks where they crossed the trail ahead of us. I’m glad to see the wildlife is healthy headed into the deep freeze.

Funny four-footed friends out with me for a walk up the mountain. It was a Christmas unlike any other, but then, aren’t they all?