winter solstice

The weather has been dark, rainy, foggy - and not so cold.  It is in the 50s today and I have opened the windows of our apartment/cave.  The raindrops look a bit like the lights strung on a Christmas tree.  I find some refuge from the "merriment" of the holiday season in the quiet darkness of this day.

signs of what is coming ...

There is no snow yet, but the sledding hill is ready!

Our Xmas Tree this year

This is our Xmas tree this year - a lovely paper origami made by Taylor Wells. Taylor has been incarcerated since 1993. We've known him since 1980, when he was 5 years old. A wonderfully creative, sensitive, and kind young man, we are honored with his friendship all these years.

I've had the creche since about 1955.  My father brought it home from Gethsemane one Xmas Eve.  It was made by one of the monks, and is about the only sentimental thing that I bring out, Christmas after Christmas. 

The intriguing abstract ink painting was made by our faithful and delightful cyber-friend from Montreal.  She sent it as a card to us last Xmas, and the only work of art in our little apartment/cave here in Cranberry TWP.  We enjoy it immensely.

It all sits upon a bookcase that John found in the dumpster.

ice art

Another beautiful day.  More ice art ...

North Park Mountain Bike Trails

What a beautiful day.  It is cold (sort of) but feels great to be outside.  We went over to North Park looking for the Rachel Carson Trail, and ended up on a mountain bike trail.  This is of interest to John since he has a mountain bike.  We didn't see many people on bikes, though.  Only four.

 I am always worried about my ears in cold weather, and had this band on my head which John said made a "muffin top".

 We came across this cute cabin ...

 No trespassing signs all over it, but, I mean, why not?

 It was a kind of open shelter ...

 ... made from rock and wood ...

 This is one of the signs at the head of an "advanced" mountain trail.  Note the skull and crossbones.  It is definitely not a ride for a beginner.  There are "jumps"

.

 Jubilee is headed over the "jump" ...

Some cool trail markers ...

 I wouldn't want to be in the way ...

 Then there was this thing that looked like a mountain bike challenge or something ...

 John had trouble walking it, much less maneuvering a bike around it ...

 Jubilee follows John at his heals around the track.  She wanted to be up there with him!

the look of winter

Even though it hasn't snowed yet - at least enough to stick to the ground - things are starting to look like winter around here.  It was 15 degrees this morning.  There have been days of grey skies, and the hills and forests are many shades of brown.  Jubilee blends right in to it.  (I actually love the bleakness of it all.)

The trees are so bare that you can see right through the forest ...

But the sun has been out this weekend, adding a glorious blue sky.  This was outside of Costco, where we went to order new tires for my car so that I'll be ready when the snow comes.

 I call this one, Man and Dog on a Hill.

 The beginnings of ice forming in the stream.

And Jubilee begging (or asking politely) for a cookie through the hole in John's leg ...

Some sights from Pittsburgh's "Strip"

 John actually bought one of these Pig Noses for Jubilee.  I think it anesthetized her after chewing on it for awhile.