Christmas 2015
It’s been a while since Pop has left his computer where I could get to it. That’s just one of several issues we had to deal with during our move to Rocky Creek. It’s all done now and I can get back to my dog blog.
Pop has developed a tradition of sending out a Christmas letter to family and friends for the past few years but I’m gonna surprise him and do it myself. Hope I can remember everything that’s happened this year.
We pretty much spent the month of January going back and forth to our home site at Walnut Hill as we anticipated its completion after nearly two years of construction. We spent our first night there on February 8th! A few weeks later in March, a fire team of Pop’s old Marine Corps buddies invaded. They were way cool dudes. They re-told stories (some of them true) of their flying days together and just spent a couple of days catching up.
A few days later we got our chickens! Pop sent off to Iowa for some cute buff Orpington hens. They weren’t crazy about me at first but I guess I eventually grew on ‘em. We get along fine. And they’re crazy about the missus. Pop says she is a chicken whisperer, whatever that is. They make a lot of eggs and Pop has to go on a hunt every day to find ‘em. If they’re not in the nest boxes in the hen house they’re in the grass, next to a tree, in a horse stall or even on the hay bales. I think the hens do it on purpose just to mess with Pop.
Pop was really tickled that he was the local Boy Scout Council’s Eagle class honoree. After addressing all the kids who made Eagle last year, he and the council executive presented each one with a commemorative coin. He said it was humbling to be honored like that.
Then, in May, our donkey (Jasper) and the rescue horse we’re fostering (Smarty) arrived. Smarty is a cool looking mustang who was born in Wyoming. He was a BLM roundup horse. Jasper didn’t like me too much at first. I thought he was gonna kill me the first day. I went up to him in the pasture and dang if he didn’t pin his ears back and roll me over a time or two. I think he was fixin’ to stomp on me when Pop hollered at him and he backed off. We get along okay now but I give him plenty of room while we’re both in the pasture. Then we got our horse, Bonnie, in November. Now I’m not crazy about horses ‘cause they’re so much bigger than me but I have to admit, she’s just cute. At five months old she was as big as Smarty. She’s a Clydesdale so she’s gonna get real big!
The missus left Pop and me to ride herd on everything while she was gone to Maine for a few days on a business trip back in June. She still works for the school district and really likes her job. She and Pop are starting their final course for their masters degrees.
The missus has our house all decorated up for Christmas and I especially like the big Christmas tree and the big red bow around the elk’s neck over the fireplace. I heard ‘em talkin’ about a Gathering of the Clan (whatever that is) that’s supposed to happen right after Christmas. I think there’s a whole bunch of family comin’ to spread a little holiday cheer to each other. That ought to be fun and I’m lookin’ forward to it.
We all really like it out here in the country and would be glad for you to come see us. (I still ain’t figured out how to open the gate but Pop and the missus can.) If we don’t see you ‘till next year, though, we’re wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2016!