A New Year Is Here

So...

Boy, the years a flying by.  But The Fuzz remembers reading somewhere that-

"When you're over the hill, you pick up speed."

Well that seems to be true.  And The Fuzz speaks from experience in this case.

But be that as it may, it has been quite a year.

As The Fuzz looks back at the beginning of last year, he finds that it had a wet start as well...

And then turned rather cold.

Well perhaps the cold is on the way, but for now it feels a bit like spring.

The Daffidills are already up...

And working up some blooms!

Perhaps this is not so strange since we have had rather warm weather lately.

At our Christmas gathering, everyone hung out in the yard in T-shirts.

But what got The Fuzz, was when he was out in the yard today, he found...

Violets!

Yikes

Violets blooming on

New Years Day!

But they are calling for some cooler weather.  It is supposed to make it down to freezing tonight.

But of course it is January.

The Fuzz says-

"Let it come."

A Christmas Surprise

Every year the family (those who can meets up for a "Family Christmas" gathering.

This year was no exception.

It was an overnighter for most as it was a bit of a drive for most-

And of course who wants to drive after a celebration.

There were presents exchanged, and eggnog & cookies that night.

And breakfast in the morning-

Pancakes and eggs.

And the guys made sure there was plenty of bacon and liver mush.

It was time to part ways once more.

Then came the surprise.

When a family member with the farthest to drive found herself with a vision issue*, The Fuzz and His Sweetie volunteered to drive her home.

So they took off for the Port City-

the opposite direction from their home in the woods!

That trip went OK but as evening came they found themselves a long way from home-

and no desire for the drive back.

But that is one of the perks of retirement- right?

And so they got a hotel for the night.

And why not take advantage of being at the beach?

So with a quick call to a much appreciated friend back home, they decided to add an extra day and just enjoy being there.

They drove up to Topsail Island where the family has been spending a little time in the summers now for several years.

It was pretty quiet out there this time of year-

Very few people out on the beach.

The Fuzz and His Sweetie went out there for a little bit.

It was quite windy so they didn't stay long.

The Fuzz did have to put his toes in just a little.

But there was time for a snack and a beer at the Quarter Moon before heading back down to the city.

And while they were there, The Fuzz and His Sweetie got one of those "Wild Hairs".

But That bit will have to wait for now.

*The Fuzz is happy to report that she is doing much better now and things are back to normal- for what that's worth!

Christmas On The Way

Times change.

The years go by, sometimes one hardly notices.

And then one day you turn around and things a very different.

The Fuzz and His Sweetie spent 40+ years with young'uns around the house.

Christmas was always a time of intense activity.

Lots of presents to procure and wrap up.

The house was decorated, and there was always a Christmas Tree-

And it had to be a "live*" one.

There is no way to replace that smell-

It means Christmas!

But now with the kids all gone and with their own homes, kids, and Christmas;

And living in a much smaller (if less crowded) space-

There is no Tree.

But something is missing with this.

But this year His Sweetie had an inspiration.

So on the way home from a visit they stopped and picked up a fresh Christmas Wreath.

They got out the ornaments and picked out a few favorites-

So here we are!

It may be small, but it's there-

And smells like Christmas again.

*Well maybe not "live" since it had been cut down!

Christmas?

Whilst The Fuzz was waiting for His Sweetie at the Coffee House the other night, he had a nice seat in the window.

This was what was going on out in front.

The City is getting ready for the Christmas Season!

Every year they light these lights all around the Court Square.

And every year they need extensive repairs.

Hard to believe it, but the Holidays are not far away.

But no need to panic...yet.

That can come later.

Christmas 2013

Well once again it's been a while since we heard from that Slacker Fuzz.

There as been a bit more work done on that roof.  But it is not finished yet.  Part of that has been due to the weather, and part to just general busyness.  And of course, the Holidays!

The Fuzz, His Sweetie and the Not-So-Young-Anymore Daughter were off to visit family for Christmas.

Christmas Eve was our traditional Eggnog and Cookie event.  We know this seems to be a major Fire Hazard, but we assure you, everyone was quite safe.  The eggnog was excellent, especially with a bit of rum, just for flavor of course!

Christmas Day was presents and Skyping and phone calls with some of those unable to make it personally.  This was followed by dinner.

The Fuzz and his made it home safely that night.  Then it was time to hit the sack, and hopefully get some rest before he had to leave early the next morning.

It's just a busy time of year.

It Was Cold Up There

The Fuzz, His Sweetie and the Not So Young Anymore Daughter took a trip up to Asheville over the weekend.  It was cold and windy up there!  It looks like winter has made it to North Carolina.
They had a pretty good time poking around the various shops and all.  They even made it to the Goodwill Outlet store.
But The Fuzz would like to go on record that he does not recommend Vegan Cheesecake!

And while there, they even got to see Santa!

Well, Thanksgiving is coming soon, and The Fuzz says he has a lot to be thankful for.  So enjoy some time with your families, and have some turkey together.

Father's Day in Germany

The Fuzz ran into this on Spiegel.

Father's Day in Germany

"Father's Day in Germany, coinciding as it does with a national holiday, has long been a day for men to get together and get drunk. Excursions into the countryside are common, with beer being the beverage of choice, though some carry walking sticks with baskets full of schnapps attached at the top." 

There's even Pix!

Quiet Weekend

Things have been pretty quiet around our Home in the Woods lately.  But busy times are ahead with the holidays and all.

The Fuzz continues to improve.  On Saturday he was feeling good enough to suggest a walk to His Sweetie.

They had a fine time enjoying the countryside, and dodging dogs.  The Fuzz has found that it is always a good idea to carry a stout stick on these promenades.  

Well, it's time to start another week.  Let's just hope Our Fuzz can stay out of trouble.

Independence Day

BB  55, At Wilmington, NC

Mountain Adventures

With that Young Daughter off visiting family for the Holidays, The Fuzz took His Sweetie to the mountains.This place may be familiar to some.

When they got into town, it was a bit early to check into their hotel. So they headed over to King Street.
One of their first stops was this place, The Art of Oil. All those tank things were filled with different kinds of Olive Oil, or Balsamic Vinegars. There were little cups that you could use to sample them.
Here's one of the customers doing just that.
The Fuzz and Sweetie poked around in the various shops until it was time to head to their hotel. That was when they saw this.

It seems there was a bit of construction going on. They could see the hotel, but the driveway was impassible! Finally, the cellphone, and The Fuzz's Sweetie's sharp eyes, figured it out, and they made it into the place. After checking in, They made a stop at Cheap Joe's (getting lost in the process) before heading off for some supper.Here's a view from the hotel that night,
And in the morning.

They want to take good care of you at the hotel.

They don't want you to forget anything.
The Fuzz didn't, as you can see.
After checking out, The Fuzz and His Sweetie headed back over to a combination bead-store, coffee-shop, they had seen the night before. Alas, it was closed.
And so, they took off, back down the mountain. And after a few more adventures, arrived safely home.

Already!!!!!!

While The Fuzz and His Sweetie were in town a few days ago, they had occasion to visit that Infamous Home Improvement Store.

This occurred on the 7th day of this month of October.
Now The Fuzz realizes that procrastination is not exactly a good thing, but he thinks there may be times when it has it's place.
Isn't this disrespectful toward the
Great Pumpkin?