So long, 2009 - Greetings 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
There is a tradition in New Orleans to have a funeral parade accompanying the casket to the graveyard. A dixieland band accompanies with a slow, sad song. But once the body is in the ground and the cortege heads back to town, the music changes. To give you an idea of how it goes, here is a famous Dixieland Band from Hungary, of all places - the Benko Dixieland Band. Say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010!

What's the score again?

Run-up to New Year's Eve

Well, there are only three days (actually about 2-1/2) left of 2009. Soon it will be New Year's Eve. I'm trying to get into the right mood.

Christmas Eve 2009

SWMBO and I were invited to the BRD's house last night for her traditional Christmas Eve dinner.

Beautifully decorated, as usual. And dinner was superb. Mussels in garlic butter sauce, lobster tails, twice-baked potatoes, asparagus, mini-beef Wellingtons, artisanal bread, Creme Brulee. And lots of good wine.

We came home with full tummies.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Sun Day

Ah the sun is back, the skies are clear, the temperature is up, most of the snow is gone, all is right once again with the world.

The second shortest day of the year

All right. It was a day late but the snows of winter arrived today . . . first in Prescott.

Some of the houses lend themselves to Christmas card photos when the snow is falling.

As one heads down the hill, it looks slippery (and it was) but to a boy who learned to drive in North Dakota, it was no problem.

Out in Prescott Valley, it took awhile to turn from rain to snow but eventually it did, turning the countryside white.

But now that we've had our "White Christmas" . . even a few days early . . it's time to bring back the sun. And it was trying to burn through at mid-afternoon.

The weather wizards say snow will leave our area tomorrow and the high temperature on Christmas Day is forecast at 48. So by then, this will be only a memory.