December 18-21, 2025 Shoshone, California

 70 and sunny.

I finished this masterpiece. It is made from dyed pine needles, polyester thread, glass beads and the center is a piece of glass I fused from murrine I made. Judy won the quilt raffle, here she is with her new quilt.

John, Judy and Jill enjoying sunset with John sawing the top off a pipe.  How many people does it take to saw off the top of a pipe? John also tamping the dirt in it and trying to drill it bigger. We are trying to get Judy's new clothes line to fit on top of it. 

Sunset. Judy fixed the broken string of lights and here is the final display.

OMG, Judy gave me the quilt for xmas! Wow great sister.  I only have one bed, it is reflected in the mirror. Judy, Jill and I were cutting back the foliage on the bridge on the red trail. I was using the sickle, and nicked my leg. Ouch. I know better than to use sharp objects, I am too klutzy. 

The toilet needs a part. Boo. John found a place that has it, but it won't open till Monday. Will have to pretend we are camping. Sunset tonight. 

Sunset over Tecopa Peak. We went to the Solstice party at Cynthia's. Very nice low key gathering.

We thought we should do something to commentate the Solstice, but not sure what. We ended up kind of dancing in a circle thanking the solstice for the up coming longer days and more sun.  A lovely solstice sunset at the gathering. 

It was chilly, so there were some fun hats! Mike played his digeridoo. Really cool.

Sunset with the crescent moon.  Reminds me of the South Carolina flag, it has a palm tree and a crescent. John, Jill and Judy reading the wishes on the stars from the Community dinner. We were going to burn them in a bonfire, but the wind was too high. 

December 17, 2025 Shoshone

 70 degrees and sunny. Today was the Community dinner. A great time. 

The Flower Building set up for xmas dinner. Marlys with the quilt she made that will be raffled off and the silent auction.

Michael and Susan, Cynthia and Marge in their holiday finery and the tumbleweed xmas tree. Part of the yummy buffet, all from local restaurants.

Sarah Jane dressed up for xmas tending the drink bar.  Dan, Jenn, and Ruel. 

Local law enforcement and the fire chief also showed up. Roger and Jan.

Toni was the MC behind John serving dinner. Jared and Mitch, Phyliss and Donna.

Great spread of food with Eliza and Art, who brought really good mead he had made. Mike, Eric and John serving dinner. 

Eliza with the donation to the fire dept boot. Mark and James dining outside. 

Dining outside. Karin.

Judy, Jill, John and I enjoying dinner. Dan, Jenn and Amy.  Dan is dispensing beer and root beer from his brewery. Both very good. 

John and Susan and a couple gentlemen I did not catch their names. Dessert table. 

Tap singing in front of the yummy food. Eliza and Amie.

Toni and I. Someone asked us if we were sisters, so I had him take our photo. We use the same hair dresser. 

December 14-16, 2025 Shoshone, California

 75 and sunny.

Our xmas tree. Going with the theme since we just planted 9 date palms in the yard. The yellow ornaments are immature dates. I ordered some lights for it. I buried one more drip line for the palms this afternoon. John buried the ones in the front.  After all the planting and stump grinding there was extra dirt in the yard. John decided one area was so low that there would be a lake when it rains. So he is working on drainage for it. 

This gopher was bobbing up and down out of it's hole while we watched. Not afraid of us. To warm up the road runners fluff up their feathers and expose a black patch of skin on their backs as a solar collector.  Our mother HATED gophers. They ate up her garden. If she saw one,  our sweet, little gray haired mother would become crazed , and grab a butcher knife and stab it. Judy demonstrating! Judy did not kill it. 

I hung up xmas lights all around the windows, trim and door with a staple gun. I plugged them in and they didn't work. Guess I stapled through a wire.  .  . John still working on his drainage ditch the next day.

Sunset tonight.

Second time is the charm I hung new lights on the front of the house and these work. The bar at the Crowbar with Bri our waitress photobombing. 

Jill arrived to day for the holidays Judy took us out to dinner.  John and Judy got the fence put back together ( it had to be taken down to grind the stump) and John finished his drainage masterpiece. 

Sunset tonight.

Happy hour watching the sunset. Judy is the same size as John and Jill, not sure why she looks so small in this photo.