My Fav 2009 Christmas Present

This mug is so special. It's a gift from my niece who has a thing for taking great photos and a talent doing great layout. A year ago, she spent a semester studying overseas and was in photo paradise. She put some favorites on a mug for her old uncle. Thanks, Laura!

Persimmon Time

This morning when I pulled up the shade and looked out the window at the rain, there "they" were. THE BIRDS, that is. On the very day the persimmons' ripeness is optimal, all variety of birds descend on the persimmon tree. There were robins, blue jays, sparrows, and all sorts of other little birds flitting in and out of the branches. All were feverishly pecking away on the ripe orange orbs weighing down the branches.

The tree has way too many fruits for me to use, so I don't mind feeding the birds. But, if I expected to have any persimmons at all for my Christmas Persimmon Puddin' I had better get out there in the rain and stake my claim.

This is some of what I was able to get.

The Littlest Turkey

Here is the 12 lb. turkey that came out of the oven Thursday afternoon. Yum Yum.

Topper Looks for "Truffles"

Topper's great fun this time of the year is searching for fallen walnuts with the gusto of French swine looking for truffles. Arf! Oink! Arf!

Autumn Comes to Healdsburg

It's the week before Thanksgiving and the leaves are finally turning.



This Crape Myrtle just off the south porch is one of the more colorful trees each year.


It's a little fuzzy because I shot this photo through the kitchen screen door.

Peppers, Peppers

By tomorrow these will be part of GramMa Lynch's pepper relish.

Yum!

Tomatoes (a veritable plethora of)

This is one day's pickings from my three plants.

Three plants are two too many, it seems.

Cosmo Topper McWire

This is the little guy who arrived at SFO on March 1, 2008.


He was born January 4, 2008 in Kansas.



Life as I know it will never be the same