Christmas Letter 2009

 
Well -- I petered out in the stretch, so we've had to set our house warming party back to the end of the decade: December 31, 2010. We might make it.

We did something a bit different this year. We spent a couple of months working for the Census Bureau. It was interesting. Trish got to be intimately familiar with every back road, wagon trail, and rut in Osage County. (An experience she feels no need to repeat.) I got me more of an e-xe-cu-tive type position. I got to spend the whole day on the phone telling people where to go!

We had our usual rash of spring wildfires (and had a few exciting moments fighting them), tornado scares, torrential rains and the like. Summer was generally mild (for Oklahoma) except for the three days our local bluegrass festival was held. I'm not sure it ever dropped below 100 for the entire festival. Fall was pleasant and briefly beautiful. And fortunately (knock on wood) we have not had our usual pre-Christmas ice storm -- yet.
Unusual for us, we sprung for the very latest in hi-tech solar powered clothes dryer technology. So far it seems to be working out well.

We hope you all are doing well. We wish you Merry Christmas, a joyous Holiday Season, and all the best for the coming year.
 

Farm Report

This year we became livestock barons: the South 40 is now a working ranch with 5 4 head of chickens (everything was going fine until a hungry hawk came along). It's funny how your attitude towards wildlife begins to change once they become predators and start doing damage. Trish and her Sweet 16 have also had to defend the chickens against rattlesnakes and other pests. What we do for those chickens and they don't even appreciate our sacrifice. Fresh eggs are sure nice though.

We put in a small garden around the house this year. All things considered, it did quite well. I don't know if it was weird weather in the spring or what, but the beans and tomatoes didn't really start producing until September.

As usual, we had lots of fun watching the bluebirds. But this was, "The Year of the Hummingbird." It was one continuous, intense, non-stop, high velocity, no holds barred aerial dogfight all summer long. Wow!

Construction Report

It's sort of embarrassing: Last year we built the entire deck and finished up the siding, soffit, and facia. This year we did the front porch (and yard), and a few other odds and ends. The old clock seems to be winding down. Trish was sort of sorry to see the last of our attractive blue and white house wrap go. Now we can no longer tell people to just look for the unfinished house.

Music Report

We didn't really do any formal music this year, just informal picking sessions. Our spring rendezvous was cancelled due bog-like conditions in the picking arena. Our fall rendezvous was pleasant and well attended. I keep thinking about picking up one of them there video cams and then T&A could become the next big Youtube sensation. We did go to the Big Picking Festival at Winfield again this year. We're again looking forward to closing out the musical year with good friends at a down to earth picking party on New Year's Eve.


Anyone passing this way is always welcome to drop in and sit a spell. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season and we wish you all the best for the coming year.