December 24 - Beginning to Look

The house and the

world are, of course,

hives of activity on such a day -- and we make the most of it,

stepping

out

for last-minute shopping,

returning,

and

heading out again to do high-volume laundry, of all things... 

Back

for

keeps in the

half-light,

friends

and

relatives

drop over,

and a good time is had by all. 

Somewhere in there, call Bette, George, Sorrel, Crystal, Christina, Carolyn, and Toby to wish them the merriest, too.

December 26 - Extremes

Wake up to 51 degrees, melting snow, and sunny skies -- just about incredible for here and now --

and

then

off

we

go

to

Tisha's

church,

helping out

with the

singing,

etc. (a sermon with the structure of music drama, with questionable Egyptians),

re-encountering

Sherry,

seguing

to

lunch at

Olive (four-cheese pizza, salad, and pork-stew soup),

returning

back

to

the

residence

for

farewells,

stopping for shopping, and heading out in deteriorating conditions.

Lo

and 

behold,

the

situations

improve

again

down

Walla

Walla

Valley

into

Wallula

Gap,

with

stunning

views

all

the

way

through

the

wilds

of

Oregon's

Umatilla County,

and

beyond

to

Morrow,

the

winds

of

Gilliam,

Sherman's

snows, and

The Dalles of

Wasco.  Lights out and the nights out wild: in wet, windy, wooly conditions beyond Hood River, such that Troutdale again seems like the place to spend the night.  Sharing wine with Harriet, turns out she prefers roudier music such as Alban Berg and company when the lights get low -- rather than, say, Claude Debussy or Ralph Vaughan Williams -- but, in a pinch, Ludwig van Beethoven will certainly due.