What a glorious day, the mountains are painted white and the sky bright blue, with the sun kissing the tops of the peaks with its warm shining light. I was woken up around 5:30 by a noise outside that sounded like someone pounding on the ground. As I pulled back the blinds, right there, less than 5 feet from me, was a 1200-pound elk staring back at me. Trying not to move a muscle, as so not to scare her, we stared at each other for a good minute. As my eyes wandered, I took in the surrounding view which included around a dozen or more, bedded down in the backyard. After a few minutes, we both went back to our morning and our chores at hand. Me back to bed, and her, back to eating my grass. Once I came back out and turned on the lights, they all stood up and took off into the sage. What’s left is their beds and evidence of all of them eating and sleeping during the night. A few of Lori’s plants were pulled out of the planters and there are big round circles where they slept or bed down during the night. Glad we could provide a Christmas meal for them.
Yesterday after the gym, we took the neighbor kids presents down to them next door and then delivered a bottle of wine to about half a dozen neighbors. Jag went to the gym around 2 and then picked Ty up and drove him home after work. Once home, Jag began the final stages of preparing the two ducks he’d been doing stuff to for the past two days, for Christmas Eve dinner.
I was telling Tommy, he cooks the same way he studies, with meticulous attention to detail. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, as he’d never made duck before. Stupid me for even thinking there was a chance it wouldn’t be great. Needless to say, it was fantastic! Around 5, Ty said Chandler was coming over! She’s Ty’s boss who we love, and her boyfriend is a Chef at Sweet Basil, the top restaurant in Vail, so she was all alone. We’ve been bugging her to come for weeks and were glad she did. Lori made wild rice, from the Sious Indian Reservation in South Dakota with sausage and a mirepoix mix which is unbelievable. Jag also made some type of pancake from scratch that you put the duck in and roll it up and eat it. The sauce was just like out of a Chinese restaurant. Throw in some vegetables and salad and it was an incredible meal. I stuck mostly to the duck and rice.
Finally, around 9:30, we were done. Just about the same time the Bronco’s lost with 2 seconds to go and blew the season. There’s always next year.
It’s 8am now and the boys are still sleeping. Happy Birthday to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The meaning of the day often gets lost in all the parties and presents. My buddy Toby, who never misses a Sunday, always prays for us when at church and did so again at Midnight Mass last night down at the Basilica in Denver. He’s a good Catholic boy, ha.
Well, that’s it, Merry Christmas to you and yours. Remember those that are no longer with us in person but are in spirit. Have a great day and may God Bless and watch over you!