Hugh’s Photo Challenge: Week 8 – Charity Christmas Tree Topper Challenge

I Love You to the Moon & Back, Too!

Dreams of Sugar Plum Faeries Dancing

Love From a Summerhouse in Britain

Love From Kansas Fields of Sunflowers

A Proper Tree Topper in the Office

What's topping my tree is nothing.

That fact makes it a tad difficult to join in with all the merry-making tree-toppers around the globe, but I'm a writer. I'll make the connection. I also love dogs and this tree-topping post is to support Hugh's great cause for the Dog Trust Charity. Hugh is great, too and gets bloggers topping trees in photos each year. Learn more at his blog, Hugh's Views and News.

Many marvelous ornaments hang from my bare-topper tree. (Hugh actually has a bear-topper tree, which is slightly different). A few my children made Christmases long ago. A Santa in his sled had an accident of sorts during the night and he lost his red wagon and both boots. Luckily, I have a 15-year-old staying with us and she's a whiz at Super Glue.

My tree is taking on an international flare. Two years ago, a tiger from India joined the Sugar Plum Fairy and watchful Nutcracker. This year a special post from a special Summerhouse arrived on Elmira Pond bearing British love in an ornament. Next, two new ornaments arrived from distant Kansas, professing love that is both as cheerful as a Kansas sunflower and out of this world.

It's not what tops the tree, but the ornaments that hang with memories of loved ones.

Yet, upstairs in my office is a perfectly topped wire tree strung with lights. Beneath the star a drama unfolds. A fly and a spider stand off in the light of colorful electric bulbs. Life, and death, does not pause for Christmas. But the promise of Christmas, a baby in a manger come to save humankind, lifts us above the spider-eats-fly world we live in.

May your tree be topped with what matters most -- love. From this, all else hangs like the ornaments we adore.

Merry Christmas!

December Rains

Santa Has a Tree for Me

Our Tree is Tagged & Legal

Frozen Grouse Creek on Dec. 5, 2015

Swollen Grouse Creek on Dec. 9, 2015

Pooling Flood Water

Nearing the Bridge

Churning & Muddy

Swollen Waves

Road Wash Out

A thin crust of ice clings to shadows as Todd and I shop for a Christmas tree. He likes the firs with their short needles, and I like the thick pines. We measure height with our eyes and try to imagine this one or that in our living room.

Finally, we agree on a tree and he gets the handsaw.

Our lot is the wide open Kiniksu National Forest, and we have a $5 permit with a "Merry Christmas" greeting from the Forest Service. It might lack mugs of cocoa or a red-suited Santa you'd find in town, but I like shopping for a tree in the forest.

Until I look down and see lynx tracks. That's when I notice the deer carcass and head to the truck. No way do I want to get caught between a hungry wild cat and her dinner. We pick another tree, and I say I like it better. It's better because it's not located in the lynx dining room.

Turns out it's a hemlock. Not a bad choice, but we are both surprised as we load it in the truck. We have to carry it because where there's not snow in shadows, there's mud. Two winters ago we had to trek through waist deep snow to find our Christmas tree. Now we are driving along Grouse Creek, tires slipping on mud.

We cut the tree on Saturday because we had a lull in the drizzling rain. On Sunday it returned. Though I wait for it to turn to snow, the rain continues to patter on our metal roof. The moisture is needed, but so is snow. Without the cold, the water saturates the ground. Snow is like a container and it (should) release the moisture as spring thaw comes on gradually.

Last year the thaw came early and quick. By the time the rivers would normally be close to flood stage, we were entering a drought. Yet, if you look at precipitation, we had a "normal" year. Cold plays a dynamic role in our Inland Pacific Northwest climate.

At 2 am last night it was 52 degree F. Crazy warm! And the rain poured relentlessly. The flooding began a few hours later. We went up both the Pack River and Grouse Creek to marvel at the natural disaster. The road we had just slipped down with our tree a few days ago is gone in places. The icy river is now churning pale chocolate milk. Logs look like sticks riding the rapids.

When the road washed out before us, Todd kept driving. Yes, I panicked. He found it funny. The only way I could calm down was to point my camera and film. Watching the screen diverted my eyes from watching the washout road. Not a prize-winning piece of journalism, but you can watch the video here.

There's something unnerving about how quickly water can displace rock. It's as if water plays nicely and goes through proper channels only because it agrees to this arrangement. We build up around it and one day water turns rebellious and destroys all we've built -- bridges, road, houses, pastures.

It's receding and we'll muck out the debris water left in it's wake. At least we got our Christmas Tree before the road washed out.

The photos I'm sharing via Abracabadra's Wordless Wednesday Link up. The photos are mine, as well as the words.

I'm not really word-less.

Here’s What’s on Top of My Christmas Tree – What’s on Yours?

A red star still clings to the Crow Tree outside. Crows are avoiding my gift of baubles. I even called to one in my most welcoming caw-caw voice. He responded in kind, caw-caw, but flew on past. I added ribbons. I think I need cracked corn.

Nonetheless, I'm also showing what tops my indoor tree, a wee fake thing in a plastic basket. I put up a few of the kids' ornaments--the crystal ballerina, the Christmas kitty, a wreath made of green-painted puzzle pieces. A tiger in a star tops all the mementos.

Last year my eldest went to India for an environmental journalism class and stayed at a tiger refuge. When she returned, I got a lovely scarf of apricot, market spices and the tiger ornament. He's a grand addition to the tree and deserves top billing.

Geoff Le Pard over at TanGental introduced me to the charity blog event. It's fun and it's a good cause! All you need to do is share what's on top of your tree, post it and pingback to the original post at Hughes Views & News. 

Crow Tree

Gifts for Crows

Last week I began paying attention to the murder of crows that shows up and leaves one by one. Busy, and not birds to linger, the crows are in constant motion as a group. One walks, one pecks at dried seed pods, another wings past. And so it goes.

Today, I've decorated a tree by the fence where the crows often gather as they pass through Elmira. It's my giving tree. They can nab any bauble that catches a crow's fancy. Will they leave me a gift in return?

Linking up with Abracabadra for Wordless Wednesday. Photos by Charli Mills

Second Christmas

The Tree Un-Decorating Itself

The Smiles Second Christmas Brings

Gift Wrapping From India

Tales of Zeolites in the Road

Join in the Fun!

Hobbits like to eat so much that they have "second breakfast." Well, I suppose I love my fresh Christmas tree so much, I had to have Second Christmas. It still stands elegant and pine-smelling-fresh in the living room. Ornaments pool at the base; the un-decorating assisted by dogs wiggling at the door to go outside.

Allison's return from India with gifts was timely for a second Christmas. She left for Pune, India on January 1 with two suitcases. She returned on January 24 with four bags in tow. Her husband Drew, sister, Brianna and I all met her at the Sandpoint Amtrak Station (she flew into Minneapolis then finished her trip out west by train). We were happy as hounds to see her and hear of her adventures.

The next morning, over linguisa, fried potatoes and eggs we sat under the late January Christmas tree unwrapping gifts and listening to her stories like when she and a fellow traveler were walking on a dirt road through a village that she realized was full of zeolite crystals and vesicular basalt.

The villagers took notice of theses two American women gushing over the rocks in the road. Allison has an undergraduate degree in geology and was excited over the native minerals. Even though the villagers couldn't speak English, nor Allison speak Hindi, through charades and gestures, a woman took Allison and her companion on a hike to where huge boulders sported zeolite tubes and crystals.

The stories were gifts enough, but we also got to unwrap bits of India that Allison brought back to share. We sat by the Christmas tree and oohed and aahed over ear-rings and spices and scarves. The most incredible gift is on its way to Kansas to adorn the family's newest little princess. In about 2 years, out little Aly will be dazzling in the greatest princess outfit ever and her cousin Allison can't wait for that day.

It might be silly to have a second Christmas, but reuniting with loved ones is always cause to celebrate. Enjoy our photo gallery and be sure to join host blogger, Everything Susan, for more Silly on Sunday tales and photos.

The Perfect Princess "Longa"

Road Rocks

Happy to be Home with Hubby

Drew Studying His Gift-Rock

India Bling

Coffee Maker for Sis

Leather Shoes for Sis

Sister Hugs

The Perfect Gift Bag for Mum

Aahhh...Spices

The Smells of India

Second Christmas Calls for Peppermint Treats and Catan

Christmas 2013

The tea kettle whistle is silent. No one is pounding at level 12 on my treadmill. And despite that the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" musical score is forever stuck in my head, the television surround-sound no longer reverberates across the living room as elves, men and orcs fight epic battles.

The kids have left Elmira. Christmas with its perfect Grinch Cookies, peanut butter fudge and multiple Scrabble games has come and gone. The stockings stuffed full yesterday morning hang limp on the wall.

Good news is we have no holiday debt--something we don't buy into. My biggest shopping trip was to the Talache beach along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille where I found a perfect rock to stuff into each stocking. My kids all brought stocking stuffers, too, having found bargains at Goodwill. And our son brought each of us a regional taste from Wisconsin--Legacy Truffles for me and New Glarus Beer for Todd. We had extra oysters and black olives this year which felt decadent. Special without breaking bank accounts.

More good news is we have a porch-full of split firewood. Our son-in-law Drew is a master wood chopper. Not only that, but her shoveled our huge driveway twice. Before leaving, he even put away chairs and fixed my rocking chair. Yes, this is the Christmas I fell off my rocker! He and Allison are now headed to the Twin Cities to celebrate with his family and return Kyle to college in Wisconsin. I have their huskies in the meantime.

Having a Christmas celebration with all the grown children was priceless. It may be silent, but my heart is filled with joy. Christmas reminds us that there is always good news. Near or far, rich or poor, grand or simple, love knows no boundaries.

Enjoy a few memories of Christmas 2013 on Elmira Pond.

Regular Programming Interrupted

This regular blogcast has been temporarily interrupted to watch the Lord of the Rings (extended versions) marathon; to merrily drink nog-grog; fix scrumptious meals for all-kids-home; puzzling; gaming and cookie baking!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Silly on Sunday

Huskies Being Silly

Just Playing

We Are Playing, Too!

Silly Sisters

A is for Alli, Ticket is for Bug

It's easy to be silly when the dogs encourage us. Ilya and Jasper look fierce as wolves, but trust me...they're just being silly. Teeth barred, mouth wrestling out in the pastures along Elmira Pond. Dog silliness.

These two huskies are both rescue dogs, and belong to my daughter Allison and her husband Drew. Ilya was deemed "unadoptable" by a kill-shelter. Todd and I fostered him until Alli and Drew found it in their hearts to be his forever home.

Now he gets to be silly with his buddy Jasper who was rescued from a farm. Jasper only knew a life outdoors and even carries scars from a coyote fight. Both dogs now have a loving home. They get lots of training and walking. And moments to be silly.

We get to be silly, too. It's the Sunday before Christmas and all three kids have come home. It's a precious time and we are making the most of each moment, laughing all the way. The biggest laughs we get come from all the games we play. look at that table loaded with games. It's silliness waiting to explode. Magic Cards...
Scrabble...Settlers of Catan...Things.

Things is the newset game we have, maybe it's just us, maybe it's the coffee or the wine, but we laugh and giggle. And that came up in Things. The premise is to answer, "Things you shouldn't do..." Well, that's the beginning to a giggle-fest. We were even snorting by the end of the first game.

It's mostly just basking in the glow of being together, relaxing, playing, eating. So much to be grateful for and so much joy to share. The daughters are cozying up to each other, sipping from their favorite coffee mugs. Brianna has a mug to commemorate the speeding ticket she got as a teenager. We laugh...now.

Want to be silly today? Unleash the giggles and join Everthything Susan who had the silly notion to get us all laughing on a Sunday