SOMEBODY STOLE MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

       We have always exchanged some small items at Christmas time with some of the neighbors. Usually it's some baking or at least that's what we did. This year, I finally persuaded the Micro Manager to quit baking. However, we did find something for the neighbors beside us.

     I took it to them this morning. During the chit chat at the door , Darcie asked me if I got her bag of goodies. A question like that made me nervous. Whoa! Did she give me something and I forgot about it . However , my answer to her was no. Darcie knew that something was wrong as I hadn't thanked her.

    So, what happened?

     Darcie had hung the bag on the mail box. So we think the mailman took it. So the mail man must think I'm a good guy and it didn't cost me a dime . Or we have an elderly slightly handicapped paper boy. Ron may have taken it. In this case Ron would think I'm a good guy. 

     Now there are very few kids or homeless in the neighborhood so we scratched that off as a culprit. 

    I suspicion that Darcie didn't have a tag on this bag as to who it was for.

    It was funny when we thought that the wrong person had taken the little gift. 

WINTER SOLSTICE

       Today is that magic day of the longest night of the year. 

        Here the sun rose at 8:42 AM and set at 4:24 PM so we had 7 hours and 42 minutes of daylight. So today is the day when days are to get longer. Yesterday the sun set at 4:23 PM  Yesterday the sun rose a 8:41 AM so things have an adjustment to make before we start gaining back time for a longer day.

       Since it's winter in the northern hemisphere I am experiencing winter. Today our high was minus 28 C. Tonight our low will be minus 38. So yes,we are experiencing winter as it normally occurs here. 

       This is what it looked like at approximately 4:05 Pm this afternoon. The sun would officially set about 15 minutes later. 

THE WEATHER IS STILL INTERESTING.

       Today we had another typical winter day. The high was minus 22 C. When I woke up this morning it was minus 24. There was a light wind but when it's minus 22 it will feel cold. There was a few centimeters of snow so guess what. I had to shovel.

      So in the morning I did my driveway and front side walk as well as my neighbors sidewalk. After lunch I did my west side walk. 

      So now  at 8:05 PM it's snowing again. I'll be ready again to shovel.

      Today I did get some photos through the window. It shows how dull it is at this time of year as the sun is low down in the sky. 

                               Before shoveling

                                 After shoveling    

       This shows a snow cornice off the roof of my house. The wind blows and the snow drifts over the edge and gradually the snow sticks out over the edge of the roof. You are looking up in this photo. 

THE COLD FRONT HAS ARRIVED

          Yesterday I gave you our dismal weather forecast for the next seven days. So today was our  first day of a long cold spell. We had about 5 cm of snow overnight with lots of wind.

          So when I went out to shovel today,  there was no snow in some places and 20 cm in other places. The wind had drifted the snow into snow banks. 

          So at minus 17 C I shoveled my sidewalks and driveway. And then I shoveled sidewalks for two neighbors. Then I cleaned out the paths to various things around my yard.

         Okay, you have to dress for the cold. First I found my "long johns". These are long legged underwear that go down to your ankles and then your socks fit over the bottom cuffs . Then I found my vest and fleece . Then my jacket went over these. So I dressed properly for the cold and I wasn't cold. 

         Pictures? No way. I don't like using a camera when it's this cold. My fingers soon get very cold and the battery seems to die very quickly when it's cold. 

        Tomorrow is going to be colder!

I DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER FORECAST

       For the next seven days we have a nasty weather forecast. 

       On five of the next seven days we have snow in the forecast. Now I don't really mind snow.

      Now the highs for the next seven days aren't nice . Here they are. Keep in mind that these are highs. Did I say that before.

         Dec . 17   minus 15 (6 F)

         Dec. 18    minus  20 (minus 4 F)

         Dec. 19    minus 24 (minus 6 F)

         Dec. 20     minus 28 (minus 20 F) 

         Dec. 21     minus 29 (minus 21 F)

         Dec.22      minus 22 (minus 8)

         Dec. 23     Minus 14 (4 F)

      Now the usual questions that are asked about these temperatures. 

      They are not close to record lows. It is normal  get this cold but not often. 

      We get used to these temperatures and go about our business. 

      North American has had some brutal weather in December. 

SOME MUSIC FOR YOU

       I like listening to music. I don't play any instruments and I can't sing. But I love listening  music.

      I listen to  wide variety of music. When I used to take CD's out of the library one of the librarians said I had an eclectic taste. I like most music and dislike very few kinds of music. I don't get rap or the heavy metal stuff. There's very little country and western that I listen to.

      Now with You Tube we are able to listen to a wide range of music. 

      A while back I told you about an orchestra that I had recently discovered and recommended that you give it a listen. I was looking for some orchestras from a long time ago. I wanted to listen to James Last, Bert Kaempfert, or a Mantovani. All of a sudden Strato Vani jumped out from You Tube. I'm sure that there are many more modern day orchestras. It's just that I haven't found them. 

      Somehow Austrian folk music popped out of You Tube. I started listening to it and before you know it I was hooked. It consists of tuba, trombone, saxophone , accordian , some guitar and a few other interesting combinations. For most of it there are vocals and you hear some great singing. Again these people are amateurs

      After a while the Austrian music looked different. Then I found out that You Tube had decided I should listen to white African folk music. It's an interesting combination of guitars, the odd banjo and accordion. Then there was one instrument that I was not familiar with ...the concertina. There are little to no vocals with this music. Some of it is the standard lead guitar, rhythm guitar and percussion.There are some very good musicians. Very little of it is professional and seems like local gatherings of musicians to play for fun. 

    So who knows what I'll run into on You Tube in the next little while. 

    I'm sure some of you will have suggestions for me.

       

GRANDPA'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

       Since I'm on the topic of Christmas presents and traditions, here's one more. 

       My paternal Grandfather lived in the small village 5 miles from our farm. We liked our Grandpa. There were times that he stayed at our place. 

My paternal grandparents about 1947

       Grandma had died recently so we had a Christmas present for Grandpa. The  three of us four to seven year olds ran up to his house to give him his present. We expected that he would put his present some place and open it at Christmas. No! What did he do? He opened the present right in front of us! We were appalled and went home and told our mother as she had knitted him a pair of wool mitts. 

      So that was Grandpa's tradition for Christmas presents. 

     Grandpa was a Central European peasant. His family were farmers in the Ukraine. They came to Canada in the early 1900's as there was not any more land for them in Europe. They came to Canada in the early 1900's and homesteaded in Saskatchewan. Their traditional Christmas was only religious.

      There are many unique ways to mark Christmas. 

      Do you have some unique traditions?