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 Here are two photos of the Beehive Geyser, in summer and in winter.  Which season looks most interesting? 

I’ve been busy writing the annual Christmas letter.  It’s hard to sum the year into an interesting page.  So I gave it an effort and called it ok.  It’s not my best holiday work, for sure.  I don’t know if we are just more boring than usual this year or what.  I’m sure that many of you could comment on that, but won’t.  It was a great year, though.  We loved having nearly all of you kids visit.  Missed Nicholas and Tiffany-Ann, though.  I’m glad that all of you have been here at least once now, so that you know where your mama lives. By this time next year there will be many changes for our family.  Patrick and Libby will be settled in Seattle, Audrey will be finished with school and possibly in Spokane, Ginny and Craig have something up their sleeves..at any rate, they may not be in Moscow this time next year.  So it looks like next Christmas, only Nicholas and Tiffany-Ann will still be in the same situation.  And we will be here, of course.  I figure than within three years, everyone will be settled into new jobs, out of school, (except me, because I can’t seem to ever finish that one).  Hint to all of you kids:  Keep a journal.  You won’t regret it.  A blog is not the same.  Go low tech and write stuff in an actual book. 

Holiday celebrations are way cool–sometimes “far out, man” cool.  Here are a couple of photos from the murder mystery party from a few years back, with Ginny, Craig, Nick, Tiffany-Ann, Audrey, Randy and I, and Devon Taylor, a guest victim.  Randy’s role was that of an astronaut in the sixties.  Too bad I don’t have a photo of his slicked-back hair and pocket protector.  That was a lot of fun.  Lately we’ve had a tradition of attending the NY Philharmonic Holiday Brass concert in December, but dang if I didn’t forget to get tickets early this year and now they are sold out.  Bah, Humbug!!  I’ve learned my lesson for next year, for sure. 

I didn’t have my camera with me when I crossed paths with 16 turkeys a few weeks ago, so here are some pelicans instead.  A sorry substitute, I know.  Grandpa Driggs (Byron Driggs) used to recite this poem about pelicans to me when I was little:

A wonderful bird is the pelican

His mouth can hold more than his belly can,

He can hold in his beak

Enough food for a week!

I’m damned if I know how the helican.   (Dixon Lanier Merrit)

Happy Thanksgiving to all, pelicans included.

Provincetown, Massachusetts is on the tip of Cape Cod, and this memorial to the Pilgrims is the tallest thing in Provincetown, and Cape Cod, for that matter.  The Mayflower actually landed a bit south of Provincetown, but close enough is close enough.  I cannot imagine how happy those people must have been to set foot on dry ground.  Thanksgiving Day is coming soon, time to reflect on that part of our country’s history.  John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley, hats off to you! 

Without Cool Whip?

Or with Cool Whip?

What’s a ward dinner without a little jello?  Or in this case, a LOT of jello? 

Happy anniversary, Audrey and James.  I know, this isn’t James, it’s Ginny and Audrey.  I just really like this sister photo so I thought I’d share it. 

What do you think this color is?  I vote burgandy cherry.  This is our new-to-us car, which we picked up today.  Speaking of voting, I hope all y’alls cast your ballots today.  It’s fun to vote in New York.  Our little corner of the world uses those old-fashioned booths where you pull the lever to close the curtain (and pretend you are the wizard if you like) and flip the levers to vote.  All of you Idahoans, I can’t tell you how much fun it was to vote for Hillary.  We’ll see how it all turns out tomorrow.  The Democrats pretty much have New York locked up.  The Republican Party all but folded to save money for races that were tighter.  It may be an interesting day tomorrow when we see how it all washes out. 

Tomorrow is also Libby’s last day at work in Colorado.  Good luck in your new job in Seattle, Libby!  Patrick will be lonely for a few weeks while he finishes his duties in Boulder.  Hang in there, Pat.

I wonder what these look like in the wintertime.  I might have to check it out sometime.  Our fall colors are about gone–too much wind and rain last weekend.  No snow yet, though, and I’m taking a guess that it will be November 10th before we have to deal with that.