Down by the stream the banks have been churned up by the deer and wild boar that congregate there at night. Sophie is transfixed by the scents so I guess the nocturnal visitors have only recently gone. Angus tells his shaggy companion to get a move on. His shaggy companion develops clinical hearing loss. She is completely lost in 'life is so exciting' astonishment . Angus quietly wonders how other PON owners deal with early onset hypothermia.
'The Font' joins us for a trip to the good bakers. The woman who runs the nail clinic next door is trying to blow up an inflatable Santa using a foot pump. The bigger the Santa gets the more the wind catches it. Finally, a particularly evil gust separates it from the foot pump and sends it careering across the car park. The woman rushes after it emitting some decidedly unseasonal sentiments. She retrieves the eight foot tall festive figure and drags it inside the nail salon where, presumably, it is deflated - possibly violently.
Back at The Rickety Old Farmhouse we have the same debate we have every year. Is it worthwhile putting up the Christmas decorations for just the two of us ? How many times is this pandemic inspired 'empty nesters' conversation being repeated around the world ?
A windswept and bedraggled Sophie observes this activity and is unimpressed. She wonders if there's anything to eat.
We decide we won't do anything but then Angus finds the Czech nativity scene and opts to set it up. He also finds the Italian glass Christmas tree which is placed on a table at the end of the hall. The collection of Christmas tree lights which were put in a safe place in the wine cellar five years ago suddenly reappear. A full hour is spent unravelling them. Having unravelled them Angus is now thinking of putting them up in the dining room. 'If you're going to do that you might as well put up the tree' says 'The Font'.
10 comments:
The watery sunrise makes for a lovely first photo. Highland Scotland's weather is well represented in the video. Beautiful but shiver inducing.
Christmas without the Czech Nativity scene!
I am pretty sure that, in that final photo, Sophie is thinking "What do you mean "just the two of you"?"
Indeed. How could I have forgotten the presence that the whole routine at TROF revolves around !
It wouldn't be Christmas without the reappearance of the Czech nativity scene. I don't remember the wee sheep joining in before. Perhaps they've attended in prior years but I was too dazzled by the wonderfully stern faces behind to notice? Like you, our decorations have started to reappear a few at a time. Just when I think there's really no need, I go find another favourite and it feels right to set it out.
That last photo - that face - is so adorable.
I love your Czech nativity scene and the stern faces on the people. My dad is half Czech and now I know where he got "the look" that would burn through my siblings and me when we misbehaved! Windswept is an adorable look for sweet Sophie.
Hari OM
As a solo, the internal debate each year also rages - and the tree wins out. No lights though. Just can't face the wrestle. That video was wondrous... YAM xx
We, also, had that debate for another year, but slowly our simpler decorations are reappearing. I taught our "uninterested-in-obedience" cardigan welsh corgi to walk nicely on a leash one winter (in New Hampshire) by stopping and waiting every time he pulled ahead. A rather cold, and not entirely effective, technique! Another lovely piece of advent music; a highlight of my day.
Beautiful first photo, and the last is a lovely one of Sophie.
Minimal decorations here - just some tiny white lights in glass containers and several shop-bought stems with more tiny white lights. Easy to put up and take down again. I have boxes of decorations, from Christmases past, stored somewhere and if I could find them the Charity shop would be most welcome to them.
Such a lovely picture of the dawn. I know the festive season can truly begin now that Angus has unearthed the Czech nativity scene! The facial expressions are priceless. I look forward to its appearance every year.
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