Sunday was our traditional day for picking our Christmas trees. We hoped to repeat our success in getting to the tree farm ahead of ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunnyhugger's parents so they won't just buy a pre-cut tree they won't be happy with. But we got off to a late start, and it was slow finding a place to park as everyone in the world was there. We got there as her parents were hauling a pre-cut tree that they won't be happy with. And, as we parked, her father waved, repeatedly, in case we didn't see him.
After getting doughnuts and hot chocolate bunnyhugger and I went back looking for trees, while her parents waited in their car. We went looking for Scotch pines, because what the heck, what did we have to lose? And it turned out there were a nice number that looked about the right size for our living room, seven feet tall or so. We spent longer than we realized comparing trees that were almost all adorably shaped. While I went back to find a work glove I'd dropped somewhere bunnyhugger began cutting down our best pick, and that's moved into our living room.
For the upstairs tree we asked what kinds of trees they had in the five-to-six foot range and they admitted, not much. We started out looking for white pines, finding there was just nothing, and then going back to the Scotch pines where after some more searching we found an adorable tree just a little bit smaller than our downstairs tree. We worried briefly that we wouldn't remember which tree went where but, in that case ... well, would the mistake matter? (We did not make the mistake.)
Her parents stayed with us a while, for a fire and for Chinese food; the restaurant we wanted to order from was closed for Sundays so we went with the next-nearest place. And then, too soon, they were gone.
Or arguably not too soon, since we had another engagement. This would be the staff holiday party for the bookstore where bunnyhugger sometimes works. She had dessert to make (brownies, that she thought ended up under-done; we've got suspicions about our oven). And for me to admit I hadn't said I was going because I hadn't been sure I was invited.
This was the first bookstore staff party in three years and, despite starting off late, we got there early enough to get a seat at the table near the people bunnyhugger knows. It was a potluck dinner, with far more vegetarian selections than I remembered from past years. There was also a secret Santa exchange; to bunnyhugger's disappointment the person she got gifts for couldn't attend, having come down sick. But the person giving a gift to her was there and had a great selection, several nice coloring books including one of wild creatures, mostly robot animals in natural landscapes. One of the landscapes features a coati, so, hey, what are the odds of that?
This was the most nearly restaurant-like experience I've had since March of 2020 and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that even given the likelihood everyone there was vaccinated and boosted. I wore my mask the whole time, apar from eating, and called on my skills as a mostly-reformed fat person from a large family to eat fast.
As happened in past years they had drawings for prizes, although after a couple choice ones it turned into ``take your pick of books from these tables''. Which is how I ended up coming home with five books, although in my defense two of them are books that look like good choices to send family for Christmas. While I'm now relieved of the fear that I can't get anyone anything, I don't have much shopping time and I'm not going to be sad if I can spend less.
It may have been better for us had we gone tree-shopping Saturday, and to the party Sunday, as all told we ate a whole lot; Monday I woke up in that weird state where I felt full but wasn't exactly not hungry either. Tricky state to be in. Nice full day, though.
Here's a touch more of the Merry-Go-Round Museum, which I might have taken more photographs of than anything else Halloweekends weekend. We'll see.
What appears to be a demonstration of how to carve a carousel horse, starting with the very plain rough box.
And here's next in the sequence of horse carvings, with more shape given to the head and with details drawn onto the body.
This had been the loading dock for the post office, and in all previous visits was closed off. It now seems to be where the carver works and demonstrates his craft. And then got decorated extra for the holiday.
The stuff inside; seems like a cramped space to carve but I suppose you really need the one person at a time there. The lighthouse was a figure that used to be outside the building, one of a matched pair . I assume this one's inside for repairs or such, but don't in fact know.
A small horse head on the carving table.
Another of the demonstrations of how to carve a horse, with the figure getting a bit more realistic. In front of that is a smaller horse, I believe an actual antique, shown in the four major stages of renovation, with the back the original condition, the second quarter the paint stripped clean, the third quarter primed, and the front repainted.
Trivia: Apollo 17's trans-lunar injection burn lasted 351.04 seconds. Source: Apollo By The Numbers, Richard W Orloff. NASA SP-4029.
Currently Reading: Peanuts Dell Archive, Charles M Schulz.
