Solstice approaches

The winter solstice is fast approaching. The days are so short now that I'm doing evening feed at about 4:00 p.m. so I can still do it in the daylight and get the dogs out afterwards and back in before dark. I'm using up vacation time before the end of the year, but still it seems that there's more to do than there is day to do it in. Christmas is to blame for most of this, but I think I've finally finished the shopping; now I just have to get it wrapped, packed, and shipped off tomorrow.

Maya still loves Trooper and she still looks for the opportunity
to lay next to him, even if she's not on very much of the bed. 

In addition to being short, so many of the days have been wet, muddy, and smelly. I don't want the precipitation to turn to snow, but I would like the ground to freeze up solid.

Here's an odd variety of pictures from the last several days. The good news, the best news, is that Clyde is doing well and his new family is crazy about him.

I guess this is my last picture of Clyde before
he went to his new home.

Here's a better picture of Clyde, in his new
home, where he enjoys sofa privileges.

There was a break in the rain Sunday afternoon, so I took
Maya, Diesel, Theo, and Serena out of a wet walk.

The rain was supposed to be done for the day, but it started up
again after our walk so I didn't get out for a second one.

Serena is missing Clyde and is bored with the
wet weather.

Apparently her head gets very heavy and she
needs my arm to support it.

She knows I can't work the computer mouse
with her head planted on my arm, so she
hopes I will get up and do something fun.

We did do something fun Monday evening. It was an open house event at Monticello for its employees and their families. Clay is working there now so we got to go. I met him there after work, we used his employee discount to finish our Christmas shopping in their gift shop, and then did the evening tour through the house. It was a lot of fun and it wasn't raining for a change so it made for a very nice evening.