Christmas is Coming; the Goose Is in the Fridge

Imagine my surprise yesterday morning to open the refrigerator door and find a big goose sitting among the milk and mustards. Well, not a live goose of course. A bagged, frozen goose, thawing in advance of Christmas dinner. Bob is obviously getting creative with the menu this year. But then I did the same with the tree, went out and bought new ornaments and roll after roll of velvet ribbon. It's amazing what you can find at K-Mart! You should see the results, a vision in burgundy and gold. Then there's the evergreen garland all around the big French doors in the living room, the pointsettias on the front porch, the lighted wreath hung high outside, the scented candles burning inside.

Today I stop by the post office for the last package drop, and tonight we wrap all the gifts the UPS man has been leaving at our doorstep. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be welcoming EK and Jeffrey and their pups. Lauren and Lilo, Margaret, Terri and John all arrive on Friday. The canyon is beautiful this time of year, especially in the long, low afternoon light. And at night it's so clear you can see Tijuana sparkling. We have never experienced this nuance of life in the backcountry. We first arrived in April, and the fire came only seven months later, in late October. So now, two years later, it is our first winter here, our first Christmas at Terra Nova. And we plan to savor every moment.