While Jerry was painting the shed, I was painting a heart! It's now painted over, but if you look closely, you can see it through the coat of red paint.

Barbara is feeding birdseed to the goats. As you can tell from the empty bird feeder, the seed was meant for the birds but the goats were too cute to ignore. Blackie was fascinated.

"Hey, Goats! Wouldn't you like to play with me?"

This rainbow was our view on the trip to Smith Mountain Lake, near Roanoke, VA.

This sunset was also on our way to Smith Mountain Lake in mid-December.

Blackie was willing to compromise: the bed was his during the day! This was a cabin at Smith Mountain State Park where we met Susan and Cindy for our Christmas together. Unfortunately, once the girls got there we forgot all about taking pictures!

Smith Mountain Lake

We'd just gotten a little bit of snow.

These fellows know how to have a good time! They paraded down Rt. 19E (Veteran's Memorial Highway (we love the way they honor the military around here)) for about 20 miles with decorated participants (including the 4-legged kind) and wagons.

Check out these horses. If you look closely you'll see their red antlers.

We got a lot of wind with this snow, covering the entire screened porch. The candle holder is a birch log that we cut in half lengthwise.

This shot is taken from the west side of our house, at the pasture where the donkeys and horses graze.

The moving water from the fountain kept the center of the pond from freezing. The waterfall, however, is frozen solid.

I thought this was an interesting shot, with the trees on the top of the mountain heavily frosted.

That's Blackie, of course, looking out the front window. We did not get the trains set up this year, at least not on a track. The Alaska train is on the floor and the Christmas train on the table under the tree. Next year they'll be running on a track.

Little Bear, just before she jumped on the sofa. She sits on my lap every evening while I read or watch TV.

We had a quiet, but very nice Christmas dinner.

This is inside the Opryland Hotel--actually several hotels connected together. We didn't stay there, but enjoyed walking through it.

Another atrium at the Opryland Hotel. That's a zebra strumming the guitar.

Our friend Ann came for a visit and we spent New Year's Eve in Nashville. This is inside Opryland Hotel.

Jerry and Ann, also in Opryland Hotel.