No Hum about it, we had the bug and for the second year in a row, missed out on Orphan’s Christmas dinner at Skee and family’s. Last year, Nick had the flu; a pretty bad case as I recall. This year, it started with me – not the flu, fortunately, just a cold. Then Nick adopted the bug so that, by Christmas eve, we recognized that we would be bah-humbug-ed out of Skee’s house if we went for dinner carrying pumpkin pie and a bag of cough drops. What a disappointment. We stayed home with our little pear of a piñon pine. At least I felt well enough on Thursday to slip out to Albertson’s and buy what we would otherwise be missing: a turkey and supporting cast.
On Wednesday, Nick was walking Nutmeg around the block and encountered one of our neighbors. He mentioned that I was home sick and he was on the verge. On Christmas eve, these neighbors showed up with a comforting gift of bread and cheese. Carlene is one of our celebrated artists. She even turns her bread into art. She told me that she celebrates the Solstice by creating bread as animals. This year, it is Raven. Wonderful to look at. Better to eat. Following instructions, I warmed part of it on Christmas Day for lunch and served it with home-made curry squash soup, made out of the butternut squash I would have used to make pie for Orphans’ Christmas dinner. 
For all our East-Coast snow-shoveling friends, I want you to know that we get the white stuff also! Several days before Christmas, we woke up to a snow-softened world. Several inches had fallen overnight, leaving us with the weight of snow-laden pine branches and the insular silence that is unique to falling flakes. The sky began to clear by mid-morning and by noon, the roads were black and drying. Although we did not bring a snow shovel with us, Nick did get to do a little shoveling down the driveway and up the walk with an old flat blade shovel we have. There was enough snow left on the north side of the hills and in the lee of rocks and shade of trees at Christmas that we didn’t have to “dream” of a white Christmas, we just had to look in the right places!I have been watching the Sun-News with cautious optimism since our local hero, Zulu, darted off after saving her person. I’ve wondered how long those committed to her rescue would be able to continue their search. The good news is, it would appear that she is still alive, despite the heavy snow that fell at elevation and the weeks she’s spent in the wild. The story in the paper this morning shows images and recounts sightings that suggest that she is still in the area; the speculation is that she is traveling a loop that traces the route she and her person took from the start of their hike at Emery Pass down into the valley where Sumrall was found with Zulu lying on him, keeping him warm. I have renewed hope that perhaps she can be eventually lured in to food and captured.
I hope this season of light is keeping you warm and dry, and with those whom you cherish. Love, Sonnie
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