Sunday, December 27, 2015

Under the Christmas Tree....

This year, my wife found this under the Christmas tree:

A new Husqvarna 20" chain saw!

The old one just plain wore out. The piston rings were so worn that the cylinder was not holding compression. This resulted in that chain saw being difficult to start and easy to stall. That is what happens when you cut as much wood as we do.

She got the chain saw. What did I get? The sharpening kit, of course!!

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Bah, Humbug!!

One of my wife's traditions during the Christmas season is to drive through the neighborhoods looking at the Christmas and holiday light displays. Tonight, we did just that and we were sorely disappointed. Blocks that used to be ablaze with lights were dark except for one or two houses and even their displays were muted compared to years past.

During the "Great Recession," we could understand when people cut back on their light displays. The lights and electricity to power them cost money. Today's lights are Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and are both inexpensive to buy and use only a fraction of the power. But people have lost the spirit of the holidays to bother to set up lights.

This goes hand-in-hand with the stores, too. Retailers want us to spend our money in their establishments, buying our Christmas gifts, holiday supplies and decorations. But, they do little to get us in the mood to spend. Are the stores decorated and look festive? Do they give off an air of excitement for the season? No. It is just the same, boring, utility displays they always have. No excitement leads to disappointing sales.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

On a Beautiful December Morning

Here we are, in the middle of December. This past weekend, I was out working in shorts and a tee-shirt! We have had so much rain recently, our main pasture has a shallow lake in the low spot down near the road. The good news: everything is green! It has been so warm that only once so far have we had a fire in the fireplace. With this warm weather, just how are we supposed to get in the spirit of Christmas??

Today's good news: a new kid dropped overnight. For once, the warm weather is a blessing. Here she is, standing next to her mother:

Here is a better view... Another successful delivery!

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