Last Post of 2012

Even though there are a few days left in 2012, I doubt I will put fingers to keyboard again.  So let this be the last posting of the year...  Thanks to everyone who came by the blog to check out a post or two.  Hopefully 2013 brings more pictures and stories.

Christmas was the news of the week around here, and for pretty much everyone else I suppose.  We all made it through the holidays with the usually bits of silliness, gift giving, visiting, unwrapping, eating, blah, blah, blah.  All in all, we are still alive and well. 

We started off on Christmas Eve on a bit of a house crawl.  Dinner with Don and Janet, night cap drink with John and Rhonda, a walk around the square, and home by nine or so.  Santa had not yet delivered the goods...

On Christmas morning we had a later start.  We weren't really out of bed and shaking until about nine.  We had a big scoff to eat, and just sort of puttered around.  Molly opened/tried to open a few gifts, but was not into whatsoever.  No big deal.  We never really got her anything anyway!  I went out for a run...  And it wasn't so much different then any other Tuesday. 

 

We never really got into a posing mode this Christmas with fancy clothes on and that ideal back-drop to shoot a likeness.  All of our pictures were a bit out of focus, eyes closed, missing people, and missing important moments. 

 

 

 

Shelly and her mom were quite upset though this Christmas.  Shelly's horse Lucky was "put-down".  (Not urban "put-down", rather rural "put-down".)  It was unfortunate, but necessary because of its deteriorating condition.  I went out to the barn on Christmas Eve day to give it a hoof clipping - my gift to it I suppose....  and it was laying down, not able to get up - It looked like it had a broken leg even.  At any rate, its fate was in this poor condition.  So ya...  Shelly won Lucky when she was in elementary school at a fair.  It had outlived hundreds of cows, barn cats, mice, raccoons, the rooster, and so on @ the Johnston ranch... To Lucky!

 

 

You wouldn't believe it....  But Ralph the dog was in deplorable condition too - Seemingly worse than Lucky.  Now Ralph is Shelly's mom's pride!  Gladys loves her dog more than many-of-person.  But Ralph, well Ralph was not walking, not eating, had lumps, etcetera, etcetera....  So, shall I continue? 

Ralph was also "put-down" (rural definition)....  One after the other.  It was the right thing to do.   I'll tell you, Shelly and her mom were quite upset at the loss of both of the animals - and on Christmas morning of all days.  But after a day or two, and thinking about the quality of life the animals had, it was a choice that was necessary.  On a farm you have two kinds of animals; dead and alive ones.

 

 

I have never seen the Johnston's house cat walk on such a straight path!  It knows you better be well, or else....