It’s the greatest news. The Winter Solstice is less than three weeks away. Isn’t it great? Do you know why? Have you noticed how dark it is so early in the day? Are you going to work and coming home from work in the dark? Are you as excited as I am about the Solstice? Here’s why: I like the Sunshine. I stay in the shade, but I love the sunshine. And we don’t get much of it right now.
The Solstice is literally the tipping point. The Earth has tilted away from the Sun far enough and will now start heading the sunshining way. After the Solstice, the days start getting longer, and I am into that! Soon the days will start getting longer and in less than 90 days it will be March. That is certainly a reason to party.
PARTY!
The Solstice is a reason to party, you are invited to the Laughery Creek Solstice Party on December 17. It’s a little early this year, the next weekend is December 24 and a lot of little people would be disappointed if we were partying at the Creek instead of watching for Santa that night. Not that we wouldn’t have fun, but traditions are not something that you want to buck. So we decided to celebrate the Solstice on Saturday the 17th. Come and spend the night, we have the Teepee, the Palace, and a warm fire to sleep next to if you desire. Or come and do a daytrip, come and celebrate and head back home, we aren’t that far, many daytrippers have come and gone and we enjoyed seeing them and the daytrippers had a good time. It gives you a reason to party, a reason to get outdoors and enjoy the company of some really great people. We will have chili and other entrees, all you should bring is a side dish or dessert, but one that doesn’t freeze. Winter Solstice is a bit cooler than the one in June.
Zugs and I were at the Creek this weekend. I had to work and joined Zugford around 2pm at the Creek on Saturday. We listened to the Bearcats win a share of the Big East Championship and a trip to Liberty Bowl in Memphis. I won’t be going to the bowl game this year, Angy and I will be at the Packers game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on January 1. I’m sure there will be other Creekers going to the game.
Zugs and I had a nice time on a warm night at the Creek. Gary Jr. stopped in to visit, he is the son of our neighbor who visits on occasion and is a welcome sight. We enjoy sitting around the fire with a local, especially Gary who is a great young man (married to Tai with a little Gary at home) and a good friend. Not long after Gary left, Bruce and Lynaya, our neighbors on the other side stopped in. They have become great friends and we always have a good time when they visit. We have great neighbors, it just makes the Creek in Osgood, Indiana a wonderful place. Saturday night was really nice, both the weather and the company. What started out as a night when me and Zuggy spend the whole night planning projects at the Creek we can’t afford and probably won’t do (but it is fun making plans!!), ended up as a fun night with great neighbors. I hope your neighbors at your home are as good as ours at the Creek.
On Sunday, rain was predicted early so Zugs and I decided to close up the Creek, head into town to eat, stop and see a friend at a nursing home (he had fallen and broken his hip, another great friend from Indiana), and then to head home early. It was raining before noon, our choice was a good one.
Lotsa Rain. You gotta be kidding me.
Monday it rained, and it rained a lot. I got a call from a friend that my dog was in the water in his dog house. I went home to rescue him to higher ground, but really thought the rain wasn’t heavy enough to flood the house. Always in denial, I finally succumbed to the flood notion when the water lapped up against the house. When you live in the floodplain in a major river, don’t be surprised when it floods. The surprising thing is the frequency. In over 20 years, Angy and I have seen 10 floods. It happens every two years or so and we are ready for it. Water goes in the garage, everything is up and we have never lost anything in 20 years. It is a pain in the arse, a little bit of work, about one day of work per flood, equating to 10 days in 20 years of living on a beautiful river. But it is a pain, and you don’t ever want to see a flood.
Here is the weird part. In 20 years we have seen 10 floods, never more than one in one year. This year we have seen number 11, 12, and 13. We have seen 3 floods in one year. Coincidence? Or this global warming thing has some merit to it. Nevertheless, I have never had a flood before January 1 until this year, this flood was on December 5. If you live on top of the hill, be grateful. It’s a little difficult in the lowlands these days. I have no plans on moving to a higher elevation, life is wonderful next to the river. It would take a complete blog to tell you how wonderful it is. But….there are days that are unbelievable, and Monday was one of those days.
Meanwhile, back to the Creek: We will be there this weekend, and certainly the 17th to celebrate the Solstice. We will not be there on the next two weekends, Christmas and New Years. See you this weekend and/or Solstice Weekend. Every weekend after that will be more and more daylight, another reason to celebrate, and we are all about celebrations.
Come to the Creek. Come to the Creek. You will miss us more than we will miss you……because we will be at the Creek.
It’s late, I’ll some photos tomorrow night………….
