post office....check

 i think this one above is my favorite for the day.  sometimes i forget what a  beautiful dog Ivy Rose really is.  Tusker gets all the praise from folks for  his highlights and beard...but this girl..she is a hottie. 

 last i checked she was out on the back deck enjoying our warm weather. 

 by warm i mean in the 30's.  i am less thrilled with it.  it came with some wind so that means the roads and trails will be ice now.  boo!!  will need to cleat up tomorrow.

 there is talk of snow in the next day or two, but we shall see.  a group of us braved the warm temperatures to decorate the trees in the woods with tennis balls.  went well i thought. mostly i kept the puppies occupied while the others put the ornaments up...Tusker and Ivy Rose found this sort of decoration very much to their liking.

 it seemed a dreary weathered day, but that has never stopped the Monday walkers.

 the pond seemed a bit slushy but solid enough.  pups wore their seasonal sweaters all day...yes i am that sort of dog owner.  look how cute they look!

 group shot! 

 coffee after which is tradition on Monday walks.  we have done the Monday walks for not sure, but it's gotta be nearly 10 years now.  the faces change, the seasons change, but the spirit never does.

 after coffee...i hit the local ace hardware. they have a US postal place in the store.  the folks at the counter work for Ace so they are super nice, which is a bonus. so most of my out of state Christmas prezzies are on their way! always a nice feeling.

 hope everyone enjoys their prezzies!

 UPS dropped off a big box from Kohls only to return a few minutes later to pick it up again...delivered to the wrong house.  those poor folks must be cranking it out this time of year.  of course, the truth is all this shipping everywhere is not especially good for the environment and uses a lot of fuel.  planes use a lot of fuel...just something to think about in this world where so many fly all over so much.

 suddenly in this dreary looking day i saw that it may be a beautiful sunset after all.  so we booked on up to Basher Trail head to take it in.  plans change when such beauty presents itself. 

 God gave us the gift of the beauty of this earth to enjoy and refill our souls each day....we only must seek and our souls will be lightened. 

 sadly, those in power at this time prefer money and mines to beauty and appreciation for all that has been created for us....many feel God made all this for us to use with abandon for our own purposes. some, i guess feel that God almost expects us to use it all and that God will simply make us another earth after he returns

 my feeling is that God spent a great deal of time and energy in the details of this amazing earth.  the diversity is immense and we are the caregivers of this.  yes, we may utilize the earths bounty for our purposes but in moderation...all things in moderation.  not to be destroyed for the bounty of the few at the expense of the many. 

 each speck is precious on this earth.  each bug, each flower, each fleck of sand.  all must be used in moderation, all must be respected and protected. 

 the puppies looked pretty cool with that sunlight behind them. 

 we hit our dog training class after.  it is a good reminder.  i run them through their paces.  puppy push ups, all the basics.  they do pretty good.  i think i will  need more treats next week.  ran out.  Ivy just has next weeks class.  may switch them out a bit after that for those last weeks.  maybe i can put one in the crate they have and switch them mid class. 

 we'll see. i may just find another class for Ivy Rose at the start of the year.

 after all that i would think they would have no more energy, but they came home and wrestled for a bit.  both are sacked out now.

 so from a dreary appearing day to a spectacular sunset...

 not sure the puppies really appreciated the sunset.  they did seem to enjoy the extra tennis ball chasing and wrestling session.  happy to have two....it's a work out some days, but they really seem to enjoy having a buddy.

 no tears in the sweaters either....and that was after wearing them all day

 love that winter light. 

 above is another favorite from the evening.  the dark clouds above and the light below

 not sure if you can tell but it was pretty windy and i was getting pelted for a bit with sleet i guess...icy snow.

 so we'd back down another hill for a few minutes tossing the tennis ball and then return and brave the wind again.

 totally worth it though...

 nature keeps me stable. 

 so do these sweet dogs. 

 munching on ice...love ice.  maybe when i get a new fridge at some point I'll put an ice maker in it...right now i have a table top ice maker.  it does make great ice though.

 Basher Trail, follows the power line. 

 are you sick of sunset pictures yet? 

 there is the power line

 no views of Denali today though.

 just some sweet views of puppies.

 nice to have the sunset done and over with so early...their class was at 5:15 so we had plenty of time to go home and get ready after the sunset was over.

 once that sun drops, it tends to drop fast. 

 loved the pinks over the dark skies.

 really dark skies at times.

 not too many words today.  i could, i should, but some days it's just too much to try and express.

 the crap storm continues, but aside from voting, signing petitions, making calls and emails....it's not something i can totally control. 

 cool cloud in the distance.  I'll try and sleep before it's 3 am again.

thankful for:  a.  surprise sunsets on cloudy days  b. my beautiful puppy photography subjects  c.  justice