Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Snapshots from December

A busy month. A cold month. A month that started out snowy, then melted into drizzle and fog and damp brown-and-greenery.

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On the Sunday before Christmas I went to cut our Christmas tree. The weather helped set the mood by scattering the slightest layer of snow....






I love searching for a Christmas tree. It's really just an excuse to tramp through the woods and take photos....




This year's tree was decidedly less than perfect, but I fell in love with it and brought it home anyway...


...then fell in love with it all over again once it was decked and lit.


A few days later and the house was full. Small people made Christmas merry and noisy.


Good food and good company made it bright.


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A post-Christmas gift from farming friends:


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A few days after Christmas I took a walk to the prairie restoration project. The snow was long gone, and it looked more like autumn than winter....



Wild grass seeds - perennially fascinating:



The moon caught in a basket of budded branches:


Shadow of a blogger standing amidst the scattered leaves of a spent year:


Since that walk, the mercury has dropped. Temps are decidedly wintry again ... now all we need is some snow to complete the picture.

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, with pleasure outweighing stress. :)

Thank you for the past twelve months of friendship, supportive comments, and blogging joy. I wish you all the very best in 2015.

See you next year!

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29 comments:

  1. It was a good year and I really enjoyed looking for your tree with you. It decorated up beautifully! I hope your next year is a winner. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*
      *H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*

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  2. Beautiful pictures as ever! Your tree looks lovely - who needs perfection? And I love the eggs!

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  3. You've captured the mood so nicely with pine-cones and snow gently sprinkled and a little one playing with his train set! What beautiful eggs from your farming friends. Happy New Year, Sue!

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  4. Beautiful photos, I'm wishing you and yours a very happy 2015. CJ xx

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  5. Wonderful photos! :)
    Happy and Prosperous New Year to you!!!
    Gretings from Hungary: Palkó

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  6. What wonderful seasonal photos!

    Happy New Year!

    Helenxx

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  7. A very Happy New Year to you Sue! Here's to lots more lovely photos in 2015...

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  8. Beautiful photo's Sue, All the very best for 2015! xxx

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  9. Those eggs are so pretty, I hope you enjoy eating them.

    Have a good year.

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  10. Beautiful photos, beautiful thoughts. Happy 2015.
    Meredith

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  11. 2015!!

    Your Christmas tree is awesome. Nice photos too. I like the snow and moss against the tree bark. It reminds me of winter in Oregon. Happy New Year to you and Mr. M.

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  12. And thank you for all the past posts and a window into the beautiful place you live in this vast continent in which we dwell.
    Happy New Year!
    Susan x

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  13. Happy New Year Sue, I love your tree! Thank you for all your great posts this year, looking forward to 2015.

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  14. Happy New Year to you. Looks like you had a busy Christmas! Juliex

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  15. I love all your nature photos. IM ready for snow !! The rainy stuff is too much like March....my least favorite month. Bring on the snow!
    Thank you for a year of blogging friendship. Happy Cycling to you

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  16. Happy New Year. I look forward to "walking" with you in 2015

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  17. Beautiful photos! And I love your little tree. Sounds like you had a lovely end of the year. Wishing you all the best in 2015. Tammy

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  18. Ah, "the pleasures outweighing the stress"! Yes indeed! Beautifully put, dear Sue!

    I love winter and your spruced-up (ha, ha) photos against a sprinkling of snow and bare twigs have warmed my winterloving heart.

    I wish you and all your loved ones a peaceful, joyful and inspiring year with love and good health.

    Warmest wishes,

    Stephanie

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  19. Thank you for your wonderful blog. I look forward to reading more about your adventures in 2015! :)

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  20. Your teaming of photos and narrative is so apt! Sue...your posts are gifts I enjoy opening I'm glad you had a happy Christmas celebration. Our snow is still up on Mt. Hood, so I admired the dusting you had around you and I admired your festive tree. Wishing you and yours a most happy and creative new year! Thanks for posting xx

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  21. The snowflakes in the leaf bowl... fabulous! I love when you go for walks because you bring home some of the most incredible pictures! All the time!

    Good thing you have a bit of warmth right now. We're been frigid for a while now, and your photos leave me envious!

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  22. Happy New Year, Sue. I hope 2015 brings you joy and happiness and many more walks and bike rides. I love seeing your pictures and reading the words you put with them.
    Hugs, Sharon

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  23. Happy New Year! I love reading your blog and appreciate the great photos, ideas and patterns you post for us to try. Peace, Love and all good things in 2015!

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  24. Wishes for an awesome 2015, Sue! There are several of these photos that would be fun to print out and use as wrapping paper. Ooooo...with pine cone and twine as ribbon. LOVE these photos and I love your tree!

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  25. How exciting to go out and cut your own tree! I can just smell these pictures--mmm!

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  26. Winter does have its own beauty. I so often appreciate it when I go out in it.... and yet, I have to confess, when it's summer, I don't give winter's beauties a thought. :)
    Lovely picture of those dark woods, followed by the cosiness of the tree inside.
    Happy new year.

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  27. I really love your Christmas tree too, we have the same taste...good!
    Happy New Year to you, with no bumps and smooth riding for you!

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  28. Hi Sue! What a lovely post. Thanks for sharing your beautiful world and family Christmas! The prairie is a fascinating ecosystem. I used to cut our family's Christmas tree a lot, but I switched to an artificial one when I saw how quickly and drastically live Christmas trees dry out in the Denver area. I love out tree ~ It's still up, mush to my hubby's mortification! Have a good one!

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  29. Hey Sue!
    Hope you are doing well these days!
    Funny story, I saw a beautiful post with a great photo of orange marmalade....and I thought, gee, how did Sue find the time to make all that marmalade? I left a comment...only I got to thinking about it and looked at the post later...the blog is from a lady named Sue from ENGLAND, her blog is the The Quince Tree! Oh, HOW do I do these things? I read her blog but don't often comment, she has so many who leave comments.
    I shouldn't have a blog really, I can't seem to be able to keep my thoughts together.
    Anyway, hope you are doing well!

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