I have a friend who does a different type of Christmas tree every year. Some years it’s weird and funky, some years it’s traditional. This year I made a suggestion I wish she would have followed…
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She was not amused, but damn. That’s epic.
Every couple of years the lazy Susan cabinet in our kitchen goes off track…. and every few years my husband asks why we need so many cans.
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Someday I’ll have an answer.
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I need this in my life.
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Who needs pie when you have martinis?
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Isn’t it sweet my cat loves rocks as much as his human mother?
And finally, a Christmas tree for Mark who has an affinity for awkward pink birds….
Since 2014, I haven’t done much holiday decorating. My mother adored our house when it was decked out in red, green and gold, but the year she died my heart just wasn’t in it. The following year we started traveling for Christmas… a different destination each time… and there didn’t seem to be any reason to decorate an empty house.
It doesn’t look like we’ll be hitting the road in 2022 and after hearing how much the neighbors missed our displays, I caved and decided to put out a few things to get into the spirit. Wreaths on the windows and doors, white candles and snowflake lights, a lighted deer and tree on the front lawn.
Outdoor finished, I only planned on dressing up the tables. Dining room with Charlie Brown Christmas tree….
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And kitchen with mini tree and snowmen salt and pepper shakers.
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I thought I was done, but I bought a poinsettia.
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And then I thought why not put that garland with the pinecone lights on the kitchen shelf? And while you’re at it add a few reindeer.
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And if I dragged that garland out, I might as well decorate the mantle too.
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And if I did the mantle, I should probably do the hearth.
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So much for just a little decorating.
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A snowman Christmas card box, a few randomly scattered reindeer, tea towels in the guest bathroom, a red jingle bell heart wreath on the kitchen door and I was finished. Yes. Definitely.
Well, except for my line of rampaging, pitchfork wielding snowmen.
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But that was it, really… I was done. Until the husband walked in, looked around and said now we need a tree.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was ready.
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But once the tree was in the house … I began to worry.
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Please note the little devil is literally licking his lips. That can’t be good.
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Shiny colored balls? Please mom, hang them now!
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Alternating white, red and green lights. Alternating garlands of gold leaves and weeds. Red, green and gold ornaments, a star on the top and it was done.
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I can’t swear to it … but I think Lord Dudley was waiting for us to go to bed.
Day tree –
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Night tree-
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Decorating the tree this way takes a lot of time and effort. But I’m always pleased with the results…
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The problem is…
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So is Lord Dudley.
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And now I’m wondering if I can stay awake every night until the New Year when it’s time to take it down.
Continuing on the marked path, we came to a fork. We could take the easier, stairless Rim Walk on the left…
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Or the harder, your bad knee will be screaming and make you pay, Inner Sanctum trail to the right.
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You knew there was only one right answer.
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Stairs? Oh yeah. Hundreds of them.
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But the views were totally worth it.
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The farther down you go, the louder the roar of the water.
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And once again I was glad the adventure trail was closed. I love to climb on rocks… but generally need a little more than string when it comes to a bridge.
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Me. Loving the rocks.
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The Inner Sanctum is the only way to see this chasm up close and personal.
Our day trip destination in New York was the little town of Keeseville, home to the Grand Canyon of the East.
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We’d driven by this place on a previous vacation and vowed if we were ever back in the area we’d stop and explore.
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In case you can’t zoom in, one of the best tourist attractions of the Adirondacks is under the C in Lake Champlain. Au Sable directly translates to “of the sand” which makes sense since the chasm is a giant sandstone gorge.
Looking forward to taking some good pictures, I was extremely glad cameras are smaller and lighter than they used to be.
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After buying tickets and taking a quick look at the little history museum, we headed out over the bridge which was impressive in and of itself.
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Entering the site, it felt like they knew I was coming.
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There are multiple paths and trails but they all start here.
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And like good tourists, we followed the yellow brick road.
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Okay, we followed the yellow wooden squares… so sue me.
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The first open outcropping looked back toward the bridge. And after that?
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I knew my knee would not be happy.
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It’s a shame they even have to post warnings like that, but you know some bozo bonked someone on the head down below at one time or another.
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This was our first look at the chasm.
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And I have to say I was hooked.
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I was also glad it was off season and the “adventure trail” was closed.
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Because that’s a bridge I had no interest in crossing.
Because there’s never a lack of ridiculous things to talk about.
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Do I need to color rainbow animal poop? I do not, but speaking of pooping animals…
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The required new Lord Dudley Mountcatten shot.
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Another item has been added to the husband’s man cave display of torture implements old tools. A hobbler as seen on the upper left. He says it’s for cows, I’m wondering if it will fit in my purse so I can use it on him the next time we go antique shopping.
And lastly, something for Mark…who has a thing for flamingoes and likes to decorate for Halloween.
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I’m always thinking of you buddy.
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🤣
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
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