This coming Saturday is the Christmas Bird Count which, yes, is not actually happening on Christmas. I’ll be participating somewhere in-between working at the library and heading to friends’ to have some dinner. I’ve been fighting with my internet connection here somewhat. It always goes kablooey when the weather starts getting cold and wet. There’s a little bit of snow on the ground which is good because if there isn’t, the Solstice Bonfire can’t go on as scheduled. I’ve destroyed my kitchen making some little holidaytime snack type things and destroyed my printer making some holiday postcards. I’ve been getting those “hey you have too much mail to fit in your box” notes at the post office even though I’ve been going there every day. It’s that time of year.

Unlike other years, I am not travelling for work, writing a book, or balancing a ton of other people’s holidaytime obligations. I got to go to a nose doctor on Monday and see the inside of my nose on a television screen and see the thing that is getting in the way of my nose-breathing (I wrote down the name, I have forgotten it). The thing is not growing, not a symptom of a worse problem, and not cancer. I can get it taken out sometime if I want to. I had some looming dread about this that I had been ignoring; it’s been bothering me since May. The absence of dread, dread that I wasn’t even aware of, has created a pleasant atmosphere for casual birdwatching.