Nordis, one of my Norwegian blogger friends, has a photo blog where she posts beautiful pictures of Norway, one of the most gorgeous countries on earth. On November 20th, the sun set on her part of the world for the last time in 2011. The sun will return once again on January 20, 2012. Please visit her blog and see the remarkable photos of that last sunset. And then imagine living without the sun for two whole months.
http://nordisfotohobby.blogspot.com/2011/11/siste-solnedgang-last-sunset-20-11-2011.html
We stayed home for Thanksgiving and ate chicken. We'll have turkey for Christmas and since it was just the two of us and our four-footed friends, a turkey seemed like a lot to eat. Four-footed friends in disagreement with this.
The creek is dry right now, but water gushes through here after the winter rains/snow.
Today, we are doing something we have never done before: Going Black Friday shopping at K-Mart for a toaster oven. I have no idea what kind of experience awaits us.
The dry, yellow twigs are what's left over of the mustard tumble weeds. All through fall they tumble around, spreading their seeds, and getting stuck in fences, under cars, and so on.
I went on amazon.com this morning and shopped for books for myself and for some Christmas presents for my hubby and also for Rachael, who is coming for Christmas dinner with us, using up the rest of my gift certificate and few dollars. (I just love these gift certificates of $100 we get from the University of California for completing, participating in, and learning about our health in their annual health surveys. Go UC!) I got two books by authors I met during the April A to Z Challenge and I'm really looking forward to reading them.
Only this time of year does one understand why these bushes are called Gray Rabbit Brush. Oh, no, one really does not. Only the gray does one get. Rabbit, I have no idea and why call a bush a brush? I could go on and on about this thing called the English language.
When we go to K-Mart (the only all-around store available in our town) I want to pick up winter hats for me and my hubby. He's lost his and I need one that covers my ears without popping up on top of my head, making me look like.....well, I don't know what. Not that anyone ever sees me here, except hubby, but I don't want to go completely to the dogs. (Samson Says: What do you mean? Going to the dogs! All persons should hope they'd be so lucky!)
This photo shows the dry creek meandering through the dry and wintry fields.
Thinking about winter hats brought back some memories, all of a sudden, of hats, warm, fluffy ones that I owned in the past. In the very distant past and then got rid of when I lived in Southern California. Same as all those great woolen sweaters that I thought I would never need again. May there be something to be said for hoarders of old stuff? Phew, I hope not. But I still miss the stuff now that I thought about it and only have K-Mart for convenient shopping.
i follow nordis as well but did not realize they completely lose sun for 2 months! yikes! just like northern Alaska, I guess.
ReplyDeletegood luck with your outing today! no way, no how would i be in a store today!
and i love the myriad of subtle shades your landscape has this time of year - well, all thru the year! :)
Hi Inger - I popped over to see the last sunset - not sure I could live like that .. it's bad enough with short days.
ReplyDeleteHope your KMart trip was ok - sounds like tempting fate to me ..
The book purchases sound much better and more fun later on ..
Good luck with the shopping and hat purchase etc .. cheers for now - Hilary
Beautiful high desert photos here Inger. Checked your friends out of the last sunset too.
ReplyDeleteOur closest Walmart is 85 miles away and in this weather there is no way I'm going to drive there. We only go to stores there a couple times a year and not in the winter. I do all net shopping and have found many ways to make this work to my benefit with discounts, etc. I can actually get paid a percentage to shop through Ebates on line.
Kara Inger--Your friend's photos were beautiful--as are yours!
ReplyDeleteKMart on Black Friday sounds like something from Dnate's Inferno. Email me when you get home--I'm anxious to see if you survived.
Beautiful pictures, as always!
ReplyDeleteNo way do I shop on Black Friday before 1:00 in the afternoon! Then all those early birds have gone back to the nest to get some sleep! I hope you found what you were needing!
I don't think I could live without the sun for two months but if your friend is use to it I guess it doesn't bother her. I'm not a big turkey eater and would rather have chicken anyway. Enjoy your reading.
ReplyDeleteI would be a basket case without sun. I find it depressing enough that our sun goes behind the mountains around 4:30 PM and only sends its rays into our little 'bowl' around 7 AM.
ReplyDeleteI often find that I am thinking of things I 'jettisoned' in earlier years... wishing I had them back. But, judging by the amount of stuff I currently have... I'd be in deep trouble if I had held onto more of it!
I hope your trip to town goes well and that you find all that you need!
We were too late to be bothered by huge crowds, but apparently the whole town had been there at 5 am. We got what we needed and now our Christmas shopping is done.
ReplyDeleteNan: Thanks for your tip about eBates. I never heard of it before. Is it dark where you are too? 85 miles is really far to go to the store. Our nearest Walmart is about 50 miles away. So it's good K-Mart is here in town.
TexWisGirl: I'm glad I could translate for you.
I would love to visit Norway someday, but in the summer.
ReplyDeleteWe have a WalMart in our small town, and we're glad of it.
Glad your shopping experience was not traumatic! People can get a little wild on Black Friday! I do a bit of online shopping for Christmas. Lots of good deals out there. Thanks for the Norway link!
ReplyDeletewonderful photos Inger.
ReplyDeleteHope you survived K-Mart!
Ms Inger, what beautiful pictures. I'm happy for your great relaxing Thanksgiving and Oh-My, Black Friday shopping. I've never done that...probably never have the nerve to do it either.
ReplyDeleteI will check that link as soon as I finish here. Loved that dry creek shot. I enjoy the muted tones on Fall when the glory of the leaves is over.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a store that will do it, buy just a turkey breast and have them split it. Half is great for two or three with some fun left overs and you have one in the freezer for later.
Dear Inger,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for coming to my blog and commenting and also for appreciating Dulcy. She was, and still is I believe, a soulmate. She seemed to know my moods and my needs and comforted me often with her sweetness.
The photographs on your friend's Norway blog and on yours are truly evocative of place. I've never been far enough north to witness a day extended into two months. The farthest north I've been is Stillwater, Minnesota, where I lived for thirty-eight years. Sometimes we could see the Northern Lights there.
I hope you found that toaster oven you were wanting to buy. Like you, I'm going on Amazon soon to buy Christmas books for the great-great nieces and nephews. The little ones!
Peace.
Hej Inger! Vilka fina bilder. Lite annorlunda vyer som du har nu än i Sverige. Här är det storm på väg och frågan är om vi kommer ut i skogen imorgon.
ReplyDelete