Christmas Eve with Beasts

The temperatures have moderated, and although it's well above freezing for a change, there's so much snow we're guaranteed a White Christmas.

This morning we rose late and enjoyed a festive French toast brunch, with maple syrup from a friend's sugar house.

The warmer weather tempted one of the local chipmunks out of its burrow--extremely rare for this time of year. A Christmas Eve miracle!



Zippy has only a stub of a tail, so when running he zips along, flying over the snow. He soon had some serious comptetition for the cracked corn--a big grey squirrel.




But they decided to eat together in peace and harmony. Another Christmas Eve miracle!



The girls, delighted to see the bright morning sunshine, played outside on the deck.



And they did some sunbathing--atop the snowpack! Here's a very contented Shadow.



We're hanging out, listening to carols and Christmas folk music on the cd player and radio. The gifts are piled under the gigantic tree and our stockings are filled--dogs' and humans'--and I predict some early gift-opening this evening...it's a tradition around here.