We may have snow today around noon. Not as much as in this picture which was taken on our first snow day, December 5th, this year. I would love it to be this pretty.
We were out late last night. Went to see the Wizard of Oz at UPAC for free! So, got up later than usual and temperature at 26 degrees with wind at 6 mph plus, I decided to say indoors.
When snow is approaching the skies are pretty grey. Dim. Things seem sadder and thoughts may follow on the same vein. Always dream of lovely sunrises with bright red sun peeking up in the distance. But not every morning is like that.
Christmas is a week away. Next Tuesday night, Christmas Eve. We will stay home! The days of long drives at night and binge eating are over for me.
Even last night the wonderful Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Mi Pueblito, the food was delish but over abundant. It’s so hard to stop eating when the taste buds start hopping like Mexican jumping beans. I wonder where THAT expression came from.
I put on a pound and hope that I can shave it off in the next day or so.
After doing the weather report each day I get concerned by all the crazy things that are happening around this country AND the world. Of course, the Weather Channel capitalizes on the tragic events, like the giant Christmas tree that fell and killed 1 person.
I am happy that they are predicting a lot of snow around Christmas. Yay! Nothing more joyful than a White Christmas.
Although I am always thinking about baking pfefferneuse (?) this time of year. But then how do I keep myself from eating them all as soon as they come out of the oven. Also would love to make coquito eggnog with Bacardi rum. How do you keep from drinking it all down the first night. And how do you fight THOSE calories!
I am still struggling to get to where I was before Thanksgiving. Oh well. Life is short. Best to enjoy the few pleasures that you can create for yourself. Right?

I didn’t expect to see much at this morning’s sunrise. Yesterday I remembered the fog of the night before that had hidden the lights on the Wurts Street Bridge. As I drove north east on Strand I notice the fog over the Creek and the River on my right. I decided to stop at the edge of North Street on the Rondout Creek. The view was heart stopping. The fog was the backdrop in the distance towards the lighthouse. The water was in slack (the point between the high tide and low tide where the current is still, not moving north or south). What I realize is that in the dark morning fog the water becomes a mirror. My favorite pictures are during these times which are infrequent. Precious. I took this picture as I took in the breath of the scene. Everything is quiet, still.
Then, after I got my fill of this magnificent scene, we drive to the Rotary for a brief walk to the footbridge. The temperature is 29 degrees. I can’t be out too long. But the walk on the frozen grass makes me feel like a child enjoying the crunching of our shoes on the frost glazed blades. Sweet.

Every day is a gift of Mother Nature. Unfortunately, life goes on. I have things to do, places to go, people to see. On with life. See you tomorrow, Mother.

Finally temps rise above the 20s and I feel like getting up early to go to Kingston Point. It is 6:45am and still dark. Sunrise this morning is at 7:18am so I am hopeful of having the beach to ourselves. Last night it was VERY rainy and foggy. I could not see the Wurts Street bridge lights. Was it because of the fog? Or has the nightly turning on of colored lights ended. Won’t know until tomorrow, I guess/
The moon was still up in the northwestern sky. I see it to my left as I go on the Strand towards the beach. It was full moon a few days ago so the moon is still plump. A waning gibbous moon. Lovely.
Of course we will not see the sunrise as it has shifted so far to the Southeast, 121 degrees, to be exact.
I want to get a look at the Hudson River beach “deliveries”. It is going towards low tide and there should be plenty of driftwood to collect. Driftwood is excellent for woodstoves. It lands on a beach along the Hudson River banks and the sun dries it…often to the point of turning it into heavy wood for burning. Also, when we are lucky, we find wood that the beavers have lost due to the rising and falling tides. Those seem to be the best wood to harvest. They are thick and burn wonderfully. A very cozy fire is provided by beaver slips!
The seagulls also enjoy the low tide and harvest little shells along the waterline. Sometimes they get into big arguments over chunks that one of them has been able to pluck from the water. They are the only birds we see now by the river. The herons and crows have left for the winter. At least I have not seen either one for a while.
Then we park at the Rotary entrance and walk to the footpath. The cardinals and wrens around the entrance greet us.
I am looking forward to a week of sunrise visits until the frigid temps make it too unpleasant again. We are getting more rain this evening, I think. But Thursday promises to be quite pleasant.