[just kidding; I wouldn’t want to even go into that.*]

The day after washing up on the shores of Libre ended with an early trip to La Veta for a last chance dinner before certain friends left for New York where [La Veta, not New York] we heard hilarious tales concerning stuck vehicles strewn across the landscape in the wake of last weekend’s storm of which little was in evidence by Thursday save the ice on our driveway…

After which we finally settled in as said snow began melting in earnest,

leaving patches of the aforementioned treacherous ice [not shown] as we effected minimal seasonal decorations such as our annual enlightenment of “Crystal Vessel” and

the barely perceptibly adorned tree…

Sunday clocked more studio time in one day than the entire week at Wall Spring

as well as continuing to read Bill Fox’s highly recommended “Once and Future Monuments”**

until a skype with the Canadians

and weather

wrapped it all up.

Winter’s chill chilled

Aguilar as she worked her way home

– against all odds –

with her Christmas deerbone [Rudolph’s foreleg, perhaps?] before

our quiet Eve [not shown] was facilitated by a Very Nice Champagne thanks to Bryan L. Moore.

The dogs’ next morning was spent

waiting patiently for turns at the deerbone and other amusements.

Weather may vary, snow may flake. but

Christmas Afternoon found us at a lavish feast of duck, Champagne, vintage pinot noir and

much, much more with amazing company at Mountain Water, our neighboring artists’

retreat–in-the-making, an event so festive it managed to transform seven p.m. into midnight before we knew it…

*I mean, how could anything, coming out of a roomful of lawyers, not be “perfect”?

**A book which, atypically for standard art historical writing, ends with a bang.  Literally.

Happy New Year!

M