Ava And Her Squirrels

It is not only Ava that is that is tormented by the squirrels. If you notice Watson has his left paw up on the fence ready to strike at a moments notice. With Cletus baying in the background while standing on the patio, the squirrel chase was on.

Henry enjoys the 45° weather on Christmas Eve. It is suppose to get up to 64° by Saturday with the week in the high 50s. Rain will be mixed in. I have looked back at Winston's photos when he was the same age as Henry and they look so much alike.

This was Winston in September 2007. He would have been about the same age as Henry is now. 

I guess it's the blacks on the right and the reds on the left. 

Walter likes to show that he has just a good of nose as the others.

This was taken right after I told Ava "leave him alone" ... she likes to wrestle with Walter like she does the others but he is rarely in the mood for her playing. 

With the temperatures much colder the past few days the hounds and dogs hunkered down in their favorite sleeping spots. Watson spends more time in the dark bedroom on his dog bed. Walter hides out in the computer room while these three trade spots to sleep while I watch ballgames or movies.

We do not take dog walks in the rain or after the rain. We will take walks if it is snowing but when they have cleared the street with salt and sand mixture we cancel the walks until better weather. Ice wet salt snow and hound paws don't mix. 

It seems like every year towards the end I always look back at photos and blog posts to see what was going on during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... not much changes with me and the hounds, now dogs added to the mix. 

Here are some photos of past years near December 25th.

Stella -- December 25, 2015

Winston -- December 27, 2015

Harry -- December 25, 1990

Heidi -- December 24, 2018

Maggie -- December 25, 2000

Maggie - Harry - Max -- December 25, 1998 .... trying to stay warm. 

Maggie - Max -- December 26, 2001

Sadie - January 18, 2018

Sadie - Stella -- December 25, 2016

As always, time changes things over the years. From family gatherings, Christmas trees, great food, chocolate and peanut butter fudge, and surprising gifts to just good memories. I guess they say, "it was fun while it lasted". 

You can still have a lot of those things living single with a few friends but it was never the same doing that. Gradually for one reason or another the urge to celebrate fades away. Same with a few of my friends. Days are not much different than a normal day although I do think back to all the holidays that were shared. 

So that brings up a question I have had for a few years.

When you no longer celebrate Christmas season, no lights, no trees, no gifts, no big dinners ... does it still mean anything if you say Merry Christmas as a greeting? Or when you are leaving someone's house or see a neighbor while walking the dogs and hounds? 

I can look back on blog posts in past years during this holiday and they really haven't changed much since I started the blog in October 2011. I remember the last Christmas I shared with family was December 2008. Seems just like yesterday and at the same time, if feels like a lifetime ago.

It will feel strange later this afternoon after the ground and leaves dry out a little from last nights rain, that I will fire up the John Deere mower and take hopefully one last trip around the yard to mulch the last of the leaves. Like I said in the last post, it has taken longer this year to get the leaves on the ground from the trees. 

Now that ... does not feel like Christmas. 

Talking to friends yesterday without bring up the topic, they too said what I had felt this year ... for some reason this year it just doesn't feel like Christmas. They have kids and grandkids that live a few hundred miles away but they still feel that way as I do and are like me on Christmas Eve and Day. 

Is that what happens when you get older? Or without family?

No worries, its fine and before I go to bed tonight I will stand outside on the patio deck as late as I can stay up, look at the sky and give thanks for all the good things I have in my life. I aways do that on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve no matter how cold it might be outside.

December 26, 2022

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate this holiday. Enjoy the good times with your family. 

It's a warm, overcast and wet Christmas Eve here in "the tropics of Southern Indiana".