Have a Blessed Christmas

 

This has been a year full of uncertainty.  You know, being told you are nonessential and you will die or kill someone else if you do something nonessential or if you do just about anything without a mask on.  You know, looking for the whole story about what's going on in the world but getting only what the media decides to tell you.  There are businesses shut down, people out of work, families separated, our nation divided.

It's hard not to give in to fear and despair.  Let us remember that Jesus tells us not to be afraid.

On this Christmas Eve we remember that Jesus, the Word made flesh, was born in a humble stable.  

He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

-Psalm  112:7

Trail Camage 13

 Mighty Henry caught a mole the other day.  

(Both Henry and the mole were unharmed.)  

Meanwhile, there are other dogs around here having fun too.

It can't all be fun though, must prepare for winter.

It's here.

 

Anniversary 26

 As some of you may recall, The Handsome One and I always get ourselves a gift for our anniversary.  Previous gifts include this awesome flashlight.

Other cool gifts were binoculars and a trail camera.  This year was a banner year.  Our anniversary gift was kitchen cabinets, countertops and not only a bigger sink but undermounted too!

Hickory cabinets!   

Our old kitchen was original to the house which was built in the 1970's.

The white walls weren't original, however.  When repainting an old layer of pale yellow paint was revealed.

Well.  No more pale walls around here.

Decked Halls

This year we jettisoned the Christmas Tree.  The late and very wise Mabel's indifference to the tree many years ago, was surely a portent. 

Though we're scaling down some of the jolly embellishment, that doesn't mean the Bad Dog Ranch isn't properly adorned.  We kept the Manger, of course.

There's also Santa walking his hedgehog.

Some snowmen have an alien encounter.

                       

Lily reluctantly wears a festive holiday ribbon.

Alas, nobody rocked the festive holiday ribbon like the late humble Rosebud. 

Merry Christmas from all of us here at Bad Dog Ranch.

Trail Camage 12 All Bird Edition

 One of these days, I'm gonna put a camera up high in a tree and maybe get a picture of an owl.  Till then, here's this.

Some Robins head south in the fall but many choose to remain.

Rowdy Blue Jays are ever present at Bad Dog Ranch.

Raucous Crows are permanent residents here too.

Action shot!

Wild turkeys are rather quiet this time of year.  They make up for that by whooping it up in early spring. 

The Dark-eyed Junco is not a permanent resident.  We see them twice a year as they stop on their way to where ever they're going. 

Thanksgiving 2020

 

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Thanksgiving is Tomorrow

 

Glory be to the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is
now and ever shall be world
without end. 

Amen.

Trail Camage 11

 

Gray squirrel

Red squirrel

Neighbor dog, Duke

Rabbit

Buck

Groundskeeper 

Purple Birkenstocks?!

Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 85

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy.   Let's go right to our question.

A couple of weeks ago, the Department of Agriculture in Washington State found something sinister in a dead tree.  What was it?

Molly?

A squirrel nest?

Hostmaster:  incorrect.  

Bryan?

Ballots?

Hostmaster:  incorrect.

Fluffy?

A witch's spice rack?

Hostmaster:  incorrect.

Cyndi?

A homeless person's valuables.

Surely a homeless person would keep

 his valuables on him.

 It's dangerous out there.

Better to risk getting burgled than get mugged for a

 rabbit's foot and half an Oreo, right?

Maybe he had valuables that are difficult to carry. 

 Like a sofa.  Some hollow trees are pretty big.  

Hey!  Did the Dept of Ag find a homeless person

 squatting in the dead tree?

Hostmaster:  you guys are way off.  It was murder hornets.  Some private property was cleared to build on and they discovered the hornets in a dead tree.  

Build your dream home in a dead tree!

Murder Hornet Glen. 

 What a great name for a subdivision!

Hostmaster:  true.  Anyway, official guys wearing chain mail hazmat suits went and took the hornets out.  

I read somewhere they attached tracking 

beacons on the hornets with dental floss.

I wonder how they muzzled the hornets while doing that.

  They are supposedly dangerous after all.

Hostmaster: tiny stanchions, I guess.  They caught a few of them and tied the radio trackers on and followed them to the nest.  This is how they found out about that dead tree.  They vacuumed out most of the hornets then caught the rest with a net.  All 85 hornets survived the ordeal.  They are keeping them for research.

 

What about the tree?

Hostmaster:  they will cut it down and study it.  They find it especially interesting because murder hornets usually nest on the ground.  

Why don't they just leave them alone?

Hostmaster:  they are a threat to native bees.

  

They only murder bees?

Hostmaster:  pretty much.  Their sting hurts other critters but most don't die.  Only about 18 people die from murder hornet stings in Asia per year.  

Asia is a big place.

    

They seem almost more sinister than squirrels.

This round is over.

Round 85

Fluffy/Molly   39

Bryan/Cyndi    39