Jolly Good Time

Thanks to The Three Wheelers, Susun and we enjoyed a Jolly Merry Christmas Dinner here at Second Chance Ranch (2CR).  Goat Herder brought over his patented and famous Christmas Roast while Joshua put his years of dough forming experience at Orion Bakery to use making divine dinner rolls.  Meanwhile, Kate supervised the assembly of some beautiful Christmas deserts.  Susun spent the better part of a couple of days putting together an array of side dishes.  We five had a great time.

While Goat Herder, Kate and Susun sat around the table talking, Joshua and I entertained ourselves playing chess, croquet and darts.  We also took time to help him create a brand new Facebook page for himself.  It was a wonderful Christmas.  THANKS, You Three Wonderful Wheelers!  Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

The stuff under the blue tarp was all we had left!

Meanwhile, what else has been going on around 2CR?  Not a whole heck of a lot.  The biggest news is that we finally found wood.  Not that wood's hard to find.  Wood's everywhere but usually not the wood we wish we would find.  It came right down to the wire.  When we first arrived in early November, fire wood sellers were everywhere.  However, the National Forest closed long ago to wood cutters this season and the number of truckloads of available wood rapidly dwindled.  Meanwhile, none of the trucks full of wood we saw were particularly suitable for campfire wood.  Finally, the day after Christmas we spotted one lone truck in Camp Verde and it just happened to be the wood we were looking for.  Although we paid way too much money, at least we are once again well stocked up for our campfire design & maintenance hobby.  WHEW, it came right down to the wire.  The seller told us it was his last load and he didn't know of anyone else that had wood for sale.  Close call.


It has been downright cold here lately, temps in the mid-teens.  One of our neighbors logged a 12 degree reading this morning.  It's that time of year when cold is common.  The cold season generally lasts through most of January before letting loose its grip usually sometime after January 20th.  That's one of the many reasons we have a big party on the first Saturday in February.  Here, once again are all the reasons:
1) Susun's Birthday
2) Groundhog Day
3) Candlemas (the mid-point of winter)
4) Anti Stupor Bowl Party
5) Release of grip of cold weather

Today once it warms up we hope to go hiking someplace.  Many Cheers, jp