Happy Day of Stuffing (Your Face)

(VIA Daily Funnies)

The Raven's Thanksgiving 2013

The Raven's Thanksgiving 2013, a set on Flickr.

We make a point of putting the debris from our feast---bones, fat, and skin----on our stump as an offering to the ravens who populate our forest. They seem quite appreciative, though they are mostly shy about having there pictures taken. Here are some shots I managed to capture of these hungry corvids.

Click on any of the small photos to see larger versions from my Flickr account.

Our Thanksgiving

Well, our Thanksgiving went splendidly. Our Daughter and Grand Daughter joined us, and we had a wonderful (and early) dinner with all the fix-ins.

A 16 pound bird, cage and hormone free.

My Grand Daughter is a wee bit leery of the flutes we used for the sparkling grape juice.

The groaning board.

I am quite conscious that on this day we commemorate a time when our ancestors were saved from starvation by the indigenous people who they then proceeded to wipe of the face of the Earth, and that seems a stupid thing to give thanks for. But my family's presence is a blessing, and for that I am grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(via Savage Chickens)

The baking begins

With Thanksgiving coming tomorrow, and our daughter and grand daughter visiting from Redding, the baking has begun. My wife is bustling away in the kitchen right now, but here is my earliest contribution to the feast; a loaf of honey whole wheat bread infused with a coat of butter.

I have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is my family and the love we share. I wish you the best during this day of gratitude.

Black Friday? No, thank you!

Today was the corporate media created feeding frenzy known as "Black Friday", and I spent the day with my grand daughter avoiding the consumer bullshit. I definitely avoided WalMart and Target (greedy corporate bastards), and we went on a walk this evening. She wanted to check out the nearby Ace Hardware store, where besides the two of us there were four employees and no one else. I remarked to one of the employees as he leaned on his register "Black Friday rush, huh?", which elicited a chuckle.

The insanity of our money grubbing culture and the way people are manipulated by the cheerleaders in the MSM is nowhere more evident than in this manufactured event. Take a break, folks, and remember what is really important about these holidays.

And to the bosses at WalMart and the other retailers forcing underpaid employees to leave their families at this time of year (and then who call the extra hours their employees are compelled to work "bonuses"), I say: fuck you very much. You got none of my money today, and while it may not have hurt you very much, it made me feel great.

The Soul of Patience

My grand daughter exhibits great patience here, waiting for me to record the moment before chowing down on Thanksgiving dinner:

And here she defers taking the first bite of grandma's homemade pumpkin pie so I can snap a shot. What a cooperative subject!

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks for my family, my friends, and my sobriety. Oh, and thaks for the 99%ers who are finally standing up for their rights. Now THAT is the true American spirit!

Self portrait

One of the blessings and constant amazements of my life has been my grand daughter. She is so funny, bold, loving, and just plain wonderful that I am always feeling blessed to have her in my life.  She visited us over the Thanksgiving holiday, and it was a great time to share with her.

At one point she came out to the computer room by herself, and when I came out to join her she had already opened my iMac's PhotoBooth program and started taking pictures of herself. She had seen me do this once or twice, and at five years old she is a sponge for learning how to work things. The photo here is one she took on her own before I got to the scene. 

Is it any wonder that she is my ice cream mint honey heart?

Happy Turkey Day

And thanks to the turkeys who gave their lives that we may feast.

(Via tbogg)

A Thanksgiving Present

I uncovered the wood pile to get some fuel for our fire and I made a wonderful discovery: a family of fungi has moved in. Right under the edge of our tarp was this grouping of mushrooms:

Here are some triplets that broke from the main group. The redwood needle to the left of the group gives you a sense of their size, assuming you know how big a redwood needle is.

You can see part of the wood stack in the upper left corner of this shot.

Here's an orphan with one of his broken brothers.

One of the things I often give thanks for is the place I live. It is so awesome to see nature doing its thing, and on Thanksgiving, it is one of the things I am grateful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Thanksgiving at the birdhaus

The wife doing prep work.

We thought we had a stalker, but it was just some celery. (Bud-doo-bum!)

One of the smallest turkeys we've ever had, but big enough for two!

Are you sure that's canned cranberry sauce?

Ah, time to pull up the teevee tables and dig in!

Anyone for some pie? We've got Cool Whip . . . .

Thanks to everyone who has helped to make my life more fun, and to all those who have given me opportunities to learn and grow, which is not always fun, but sure moves things along!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Something we won't be having for Thanksgiving dinner

(Via Bifurcated Rivets, from Ugly Food)

Can you spot the bigger turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. I hope you are as grateful for the blessings in your life as I am for the ones in mine!

In my own backyard:

Thanksgiving is over. We went to a friend's house and shared the meal and good fellowship, but I couldn't see going through Thanksgiving and NOT having leftovers. So, the next day, I got out the trusty old water smoker and cooked our own bird.

The day was gorgeous, and as I worked outside, I became aware of the Fall colors of our Northern California coast. They are not as flashy or plentiful as the bright showiness of Spring and Summer, but they are there, if you look for them.

A little mindful looking yeilded some pretty amazing results. Vibrant snap dragons and penstemon, faded roses and holdout alpine strawberries. Even a Meyer lemon from a tree my wife got from someone who was throwing it away as a failure which she nursed back to health.




Pretty amazing. And a good way to encounter gratitude in my own backyard.

Oh, things change and go hither and yon. Life is full of loss and aquisition. Every departure ends with arrival. If you've read much of this blog you know I haven't been happy about a lot of the cards which the dealer has laid before me lately, but that's just how it goes sometimes. There are many things I am truely grateful for, and sometimes it takes opening my eyes and walking around my backyard to see that. Sometimes I even see an angel . . . .

I hope you had a good holiday and celebrated the things you are thankful for.