top of the year to you!

 Christmas lights; Christmas at all. Illusion and free meals. A scary, sacred and uneven patch of territory this year. There's things here I can't tell you about except that they dance on hope and survive in a nightmare.

 Today we went up to Butte Meadows, or almost. I was driving and didn't go much past almost plowing into someone on the sheer iced roadway. We met a nice snowman. His creator was slugging down white wine while he created this kindly spirit. You never know who you'll want to have your photo taken with. That's Michael in his Christmas hat by Orien. He's my heart's honey.

 And in the valley it's roses in December. When exactly does one prune when global warming keeps growth going all year?

 In other areas it's the tail end of autumn and the colors pop and the shapes pepper and life reminds us over and over how much it wants to be appreciated. Not just for its variety and beauty but for the sheer amazing light that illuminates it all. Our winter sun, the light inside us that grows us, the flames that burst that flicker that smolder that go out. All of it happening always all at once.