Once again...a little bit of this...a little bit of that...

How can it be December already?

This week, once again, bear with me as we take a look at a little bit of this...and a little bit of that...

We’ll start with many, many apologies to the spirit of John Lennon...

...and so this is Christmas...

...and you can tell that it’s “officially” Christmas when some very strange commercials for various perfumes and colognes start showing up.

Perhaps, as an “official” old guy who just might not be “with it” (not that I ever was) and just might not “get it,” I truly do not understand some of those commercials.

For example, one of the commercials has an elegantly dressed couple who appear to be dancing on what appears to be the surface of the moon. As the commercial unfolds, the couple appear to start floating above the surface of wherever they area. 

Like I said, I don’t get it...and I certainly do not understand why it would be necessary to acquire that particular product...

Meanwhile...

The Other Half and yours truly paid a visit to an event last Saturday in our hometown which featured the art and craft creations of folks from right here in our little corner of the world. Let me just say that we are blessed to have so much creative talent...and to be able to see it, too...

Meanwhile...

In the midst of a pre-bedtime nap last Sunday night, I watched what I thought might be another appearance of Taylor What’s Her Name on the tube. Never did see her...but the football game was pretty good...

Meanwhile... 

Speaking of “official” sorts of things...

Thanksgiving “officially” came to an end (for this writer, anyway) at about 6:35 p.m. on the 29th day of November.

That was the moment when the container of spray whipped cream which I had purchased just for the holiday sputtered to the end...like a car coughing to a herky jerky stop when it runs out of gasoline. 

Leftover turkey had pretty much ran its course by that time, too. I don’t think I ever did get to put any of the whipped cream on some leftover turkey... 

Meanwhile...

The Other Half and yours truly motored to the big city of Cape Girardeau on a bright, sunny day last week. She had an appointment with a dentist, which meant that I had an appointment as a chauffeur.

As we often do, during our journey to west bank of the Mississippi River, and back home again, we kept an eye out for critters...especially when we made a bit of a side trip through the Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area (a place most of us know just as “the refuge”). 

We ended up seeing four bald eagles (three of which were flying when we saw them on the way to Cape Girardeau), five hawks, and a meager two Canada geese at a pond at the refuge (although there were more geese flying overhead off in the distance). Given the arrival of the holiday season, I was kind of disappointed that we did not see a partridge in a pear tree. Of course, I don’t know if there are any pear trees at the refuge. Or partridges for that matter.

While we driving through the refuge, I said something to The Other Half about how it would be nice to see a bald eagle...perhaps one perched in a tree so a certain somebody could take a photo or two or three...

As we got closer to the Illinois Route 146, I spotted what looked like a pretty good sized bird perched high in a tree along the highway near the entrance to the refuge. I figured the bird was probably a hawk.

Turned out the bird was a bald eagle. I guess the majestic bird somehow sensed somebody was out looking to get a photograph of a bald eagle. I ended up stopping the car on the road at the refuge (the Other Half is used to such things) and took about a dozen photographs.

We didn’t see any more bald eagles on the way back home. However, later that day, while heading home from metropolitan Anna, I looked up and saw...yup...another bald eagle...soaring overhead in a clear, blue sky...