I was thinking of Marda today so thought I'd check in to see if, by some miracle, the capability to add music to a thread had returned. I miss her "Those No Longer With Us" thread. It always made me cry, but it was a cleansing cry. It was just what I needed to be able to move through the holidays without the ones who made all the difference. I'm just about done with my shopping, only have to find something for DB. I sat and pondered what to give a persnickity carnivor and started searching for some great piece of meat. Maybe buffalo burgers or a moose roast? I came across an elk carcass on sale at Amazon and wondered what the heck an elk carcass was. Still don't know much more than it's 225 lbs of meat, but I was hysterical laughing at the buyers reviews! I laughed until I cried, and am still laughing. Have been working 14-16 hour days for the past 2 weeks and I'm tuckered out both mentally and physically. Haven't had a chance to bake a thing yet, and there is a box to be mailed home to PA and another one to South America where a friend was recently stationed. I've threatened to withold sending the box if he doesn't stop sending me pictures of the beautiful Andes Mountains and, just to break my heart, pictures of him at the beach. Christmas is a big deal in South America and life is winding down to a complete halt for him, which isn't good for someone so far away from home. I think of all my soldiers in Iraq, how many holidays they've spent over there now, and wonder if there will ever come a time when we'll have a Christmas with no war. Last Monday our high was 81, tomorrow's high isn't suppose to get out of the 40's. As is normal after being exposed to thousands of soldiers and physically exhausting myself, I feel a cold coming on. There is too much yet to do, I can't afford to get sick. If I don't get a tree up soon, DS is liable to move to the house down the street that has not one, not two, but THREE Christmas trees displayed in the windows across the front of their house. Show off's. They're beautiful, I'm jealous of their free time, but it's not going to happen in this magic kingdom. I made a pot of barley soup yesterday using pork neck bones. My Grandmother taught me how to make this soup, she always used pigs feet and called it "Trotter Stew". As much as I loved it, it had a lot of fat that had to be taken off. The neck bones had some, but not much, and the soup was just the ticket on a cold, blustery day. One of the Officers from the PA National Guard brought me a cheese cake as a thank you on Friday and it's sitting in the ice box calling to me. Always seems the things that are bad for me have the loudest voice in the ice box. The carrots and celery can't seem to get above a whisper. Tomorrow is Monday and is suppose to be my last day of work for the year. I've once again went over my carry over cap on vacation time and, darn the luck, am being forced to use it or lose it. The boss is frantic since my last remaining employee left for a job in Korea and he has no one to monitor my operation. Sucks to be him. Merry Christmas. Tuesday I'm going to dig out the microwave booties Jan gave me a few years ago, sit back, relax, and let visions of sugar plums dance in my head. Wednesday is the first day of winter vacation for the kids, so DS and I will find a tree and spend the day decorating. It's going to be a simple Christmas, filled with simple pleasures...my child and me. Now it's off to find that special piece of meat for the carnivor. If I procrastinate long enough, I might stumble upon a reindeer carcass!

In what part of the country are you located, and could you take a photo of this bird? We have red-winged blackbirds here in PA. but the red is on it's shoulder and it has buff-yellow tips. The bird book describes it as epaulettes. Three other birds I found with some of your description are the Lark Bunting (state bird of Colorado, nest in sagebrush plains), the Painted Redstart (foothills and mtn. canyons of southwest, native to Mexico) and the Rose-Breasted Grosebeak, the male being described as black head and back with a rosy red wing lining and white rump (northeast and central USA and into Canada and beyond). Jane

Great pics, Claire! Where did you find the jelly jar holder? I've not seen one like that & would like to offer jelly that way. I've heard "my" orioles & seen an orange blur in the treetops but haven't had a good look yet. There have been orioles nesting in the same oak tree for at least 12 years, maybe longer. "My" chimney swifts are also back-no more fires for the season! Susan

Awesome Chickens!!! Have only seen this in pics and on TV. We do have a small population of Lesser Prairie Chickens here in Michigan and I was where they live but didn't see any when I WAS THERE OOPS. I just love all grouse. Cathy