The After-Christmas Lull

Christmas 2017 has come and gone. And what did Donna and I do for Christmas? Basically, the same thing we've done for most of the last 20 years or so.

After Courtney graduated high school and Donna and I found ourselves in an empty nest, we started a new Christmas Day tradition -- going to the movies. For most of the past almost-20 years or so, we've continued this. This year, we saw Father Figures, starring Owen Wilson and Ed Helms, with supporting roles by Glenn Close, Terry Bradshaw, J.K. Simmons, and Christopher Walken. We enjoyed it for the most part, except for all the gutter language. Why does Hollywood feel they have to include such language when there is absolutely no reason for it? I'll try to be more careful in future about the movies I watch; such language does not impress me at all.

Normally, we find a place to eat after watching a show on Christmas Day, but we couldn't find anything we wanted this year so we just headed home and put something together there. And I was surprised by the crowds at the few places that were open. I saw several families going in and out of these restaurants, and they didn't look like travelers to me. I guess the traditional holiday meals are fading away for some folks.

A very cold front moved in on Wednesday. Never did the temp rise above freezing on that day. We had an early appointment and had to get out. Because of moisture the previous day, there were several icy patches around town, especially on the bridges on the loop. We left early, choose a low-traffic and safe route, and safely arrived at our destination. There were numerous wrecks around town that morning.

The cold continued the next day, when the temp just barely rose above freezing. Daughter Courtney and her band of mercenaries arrived close to noon for a belated Christmas celebration. Donna cooked ham, baked beans, and white potato salad -- yum yum! We opened presents, watched the little guys play with their new things, and had a good visit. They spent the night, then returned home the next day.

After they left, Donna put away all the indoor Christmas decorations -- tree, stockings, etc. I went outside and removed the lights there. So, Christmas is officially over for us for 2017.

The cold has continued. Every day is a wintry day, with low temps and overcast skies. We've had light moisture almost every day; not enough to add water to our reservoirs, but enough to make driving tricky with the overnight freezes. As I write this at just after 3:00 PM on Saturday afternoon, the temp is 38, and that is probably the highest it will be for the next several days. The high tomorrow (Sunday) is 32 with an wintry mix. It dips to 17 Sunday night, and climbs to a mere 25 on Monday, New Years Day. Monday night gets to 16, rising to 28 on Tuesday. We finally get back above freezing on Wednesday.

Donna and I had planned a trip next week, but with the bad weather, we decided to stay home, so we canceled and rescheduled for another time. Now, for all you mountain folks and northerners out there, this weather doesn't sound that bad. But for the folks in my neck of the woods, this is quite cold. It seems that we haven't seen the sun for a week or more.

To end the week, we will attend a New Year's Eve party out here at Rio Concho West on Sunday night. Lock up the women and children, as the old folks are cutting loose! I'll tell you about this wild affair in another entry.