Strudel Time

The annual rolling of the strudel began late night, but not as late as my dear mother's! As soon as Miki went to bed, fussed and asked for her Papa...I got started on the dough. Every Christmas Eve I think that the recipe for strudel dough is SO easy and produces such fine results that I should make it at other times throughout the year. But alas, I never do, and that is what make it that much more tasty! Hopefully Miki will enjoy the strudel tradition a bit more next time around...She only took one bite.
Maybe I didn't add enough butter for her liking. Ha!

Merry 2007 Christmas

Merry Christmas from Vancouver Island!

The tree is up, the gifts are wrapped, Miki is fast asleep and the apple strudel is baked and waiting for the morning tea ritual.

We hope everyone is healthy and happy and we do wish we could be together this holiday season. Perhaps next year...?

Miki, Rope and I took a long walk this afternoon so Mama could get some cooking done (and talk to Grammy in Vermont, so I was told). A lot of the photos that follow this post were taken on that stroll.

It's after midnight here, gotta get moving and play my duty as Santa before finding sleep myself. To all a good night!

Hay Ride

Lastnight we went on a neighborhood hay ride organized by the fire department. It was scheduled for last Sunday but cancelled due to horrendous weather.

By 3pm yesterday the skies cleared and the preparations were under way. 2 semi-trucks each with a double flat-bed trailer (they're called "b-trains" in trucker lingo) were rented, outfitted with a sound system, lights and loaded with bails of hay for benches. At 6pm the rigs rolled out, flanked in both the front and rear by the fire engines. It really was quite impressive and I had planned on taking lots of photos but my camera battery died 5 min. into the journey. I've included what few shots I was able to snap just to give you some idea. It was lots of fun and I honestly wish we could do it more than once a year.

Bridge good, dog bad

There are a few small wooden planks laid across our backyard creek in various locations and I've managed to impress upon Miki that she is to use these, and these only, when she wants to forge the other side. Today Rope took a few hearty slurps from the creek while you-know-who was watching so thanks to our lovely canine I've now got to teach her something about potable water and giardia!

Santa's Snax

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

This evening, before we put Miki to bed, Mama had her write a letter to Santa and prepare his and Rudolph's midnight snacks: Four of those molasses cookies, a glass of soy milk (don't laugh, it's true) and a big 'ol carrot for the reindeer.
BubbleShare: Share photos - Print Christmas Coloring Pages.

So big!

We've been saying this to Miki ever since she was born. I think it was the first "sign" she learned, actually. The action has evolved for her, much like any grammar or language does, and she now uses it to correctly describe something to us that is large or big.

The House Hippo

I don't know where it came from or how it got there, but the small plastic hippopotamus figurine has become a cornerstone of our back deck. He sits on the deck corner, about chest height, mouth in a fully open roar to greet (or scare!) all would-be visitors. Today Miki fetched it down (she can finally reach it herself) under the sudden impulse (I guess) that she needed to imitate its gaping maw... Beware the House Hippo!

Giggle

The sun was out today over a clear, blue sky. It was warm in the sun but crisp in the shade. Miki and I went out on the lawn this afternoon to play with Rope. I had him chasing a stick all over the yard and since it was cool, he got real excited leaping over the creek and growling at nothing in particular. It did, however, entertain and please Miki to no end. She was full of belly giggles, watching that crazy dog tear around the yard.

Wool jumpsuit

"One husband's mistake is another daughter's gain".

A few months ago I mistakenly put one of Ericka's favorite wool sweaters in the dryer and it came out sized to fit one of Santa's elves. Ooops. Well, E handed it over to a good friend of ours whom also happens to be an amazing seamstress, no, "children's fashion designer" is more like it. She does amazing things for toddlers with various pieces of textiles. Anyway, Miki's Christmas present this year was Mama's "old" sweater cut-up and reassembled into a 2-piece wool and fleece-lined jumpsuit. Very hip and practical.

Nanny's Molasses Cookies

Ericka pulled out Nanny's (Miki's great grandmother on Ericka's side) molasses cookie recipe on "Christmas Eve-Eve" and set Miki to work. She cranked out a dozen of these wonderful holiday treats that would do both Nanny and my grandparents (bakers for more than 50 years) proud. Bon apetit, mamere & papere...
BubbleShare: Share photos - Cheap Hotels Vegas

Cardrona Creek

There's a small "seasonal" creek on our property, yet for its size it moves quite a bit of water and it does offer a pleasant gurgle. I know most people give a name to their property (if they have land enough to call 'property') and since we don't really have land, instead we've got a creek, I came up with Cardrona Creek just as I was entering this post. There was a lull in the rain we've been getting recently so the 3 of us went outside; Mama to weed the garden a bit and Miki and I to splash about in her creek.

Live fire training 2007

A good friend recently introduced me to a new photo-sharing site called, Bubbleshare. I had trouble lastnight trying to incorporate it into this blog page, everything I tried failed. My initial attempt was to place it over on the top, right-hand margin to add some more material to that field but it just wouldn't work. Then it occured to me lastnight (while I was trying to get some sleep) that maybe I should just cut and paste it into an actual "posting". Well, that's the first thing I tried this morning and voila! Success! I'm planning to add more of these "active" screens in the future; a great way to share more photos and provide some dynamic life to the blog. Enjoy...

FYI: these photos were taken in February 2007.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Cheap Hotels Vegas

"Cut 'yer own!'

Last Sunday we went out to a local tree farm to cut our tree for the year. It was quite cold & windy so needless to say we didn't dither over our selection ("How 'bout that one?" Yup, great, get it and lets go!).

That evening, after decorations were complete, Mama popped some cookies in the oven and we sat down on the kitchen floor with some ice cream and devoured the whole batch! It was obvious from Miki's energy level 3.5 minutes later that she hasn't had that much sugar in her system ever. Ooops.

Happy Holidays & Ho, ho, ho!

Lights, camera, action!

Once we managed to haul the freshly cut Christmas tree into our house, Miki, Mama & Papa got to work wrapping it in (new environmentally-friendly LED'S!) lights and hanging decorations. Miki has, for the past 3 mornings, said "hello" to the tree once she wakes up and makes her way downstairs. This morning she even tried to hug it!

December update

The snow that fell last week is now gone and there's not much to speak of in the coming week's forecast. In fact, rain is predicted. Lots of rain.

We're planning to get our "cut your own" Christmas tree this coming Saturday and we were hoping there'd be some white stuff on the ground to round out the experience, but alas...

On Sunday the firehall is putting on its annual hay ride for families in the Cedar community. 2 flat-bed trucks have been arranged and the firemen are tasked with decorating them and loading them with bales of hay. Sunday evening the trucks will roll out complete with hot cocoa, candy canes and oranges. Lucky for Miki, a few guys in the hall have young children and most are planning to join in the festivities. (I'll keep you posted with some photos early next week).

My holiday starts on the 21st this year and I don't need to be back in the office until the 3rd of January. No plans as of yet for New Year's. Anybody doing something exciting?