I did find my Christmas cards so could be sitting here writing warm personal notes and addressing the envelopes, but I'm not really in the mood. One of these days it may come over me. All the cards sent to us are going to Las Vegas so I won't see them unless I go there for Christmas, but I will get emailed lists of who has sent cards. Anyone who sends me a card gets one in return, and then I start on family and usually write to all of them. Those family members who send cards often don't write a note, just sign their name, and I don't know why they bother if they aren't going to communicate anything. I suppose 'thinking of you' is implied, but a clue as to what is on their little pea brains from year to year would be nice. I'm not good at writing form letters because I always tailor my message to the recipient, or at least I think I do.

Today I strung some lights along the bridge and you can see them from the highway if you look fast.

Most cars driving by are watching their driving, but some who drive this road frequently sneak a peek in our direction. A lot of people wonder who lives down here and I'm sure they can tell you a lot about when the gate is open and closed, just like I notice things at the properties between here and the post office.

Right now the gate is open all the time because I am expecting a package from UPS and the last time they came it was closed but unlocked and I put a note on the gate telling them to open it and come down to the house but they just put the package in a big plastic bag and tied it to the gate. I want to be here when they get here and have a heart-to-heart about it, because I was out of town at that time, and I needed them to put the package on the porch. Nothing says 'nobody home, help yourself' like a package tied to the gate for a couple of weeks.

Once in awhile a package will be delivered by Fed Ex and they have to stop on the other side of the river and carry it across to the house because they say their trucks are too big. We have side rails on the bridge and a sharp turn to get onto it from the driveway, so large vehicles have to ease their way around that turn. Personally I think they could make it if they tried.

It was supposed to get up to 58 degrees here today and be 20 degrees colder tomorrow with a chance of snow starting after 11 pm. I won't stay up to see if it starts. I put food scraps out on the riverbank and some animal comes and gets them, even celery and banana peels, two things they won't touch in the summer unless there is gravy on them. The only wildlife I see now is tree squirrels, and not very often. The ground squirrels are hibernating.

I didn't see any bears this year, but the post office people have been telling me how the bear comes to their place almost every night. It gets old after awhile, so I'm just as glad they aren't visiting because I would worry about them getting into the trash can.

Nope, still not in the mood for Christmas cards. I guess I'll go upstairs and read a book.