Carriage Rides

After several days of dreich skies and pouring rain, we were greeted this morning by blue skies and sunshine, frost and a cold wind. Unlike Monday when rain and soaked clothing forced them to admit defeat, OilMan and Will finished a round of golf this morning. Will didn't hit any houses today.

Ozzie and I hit the trail as soon as I could throw on my woolies and open the back of the 'little red wagon', my brother Rick's name for my wonderful new car. Ozzie likes it too. Whereas he used to hesitate before jumping in, as if gauging whether the height, distance, and jumping surface, was worth the effort,  now he now rushes to the car, waits for the back to open and is in before it is even halfway open. At the touch of a button the back gently closes with a quiet little click. We are assured that if anything is in the way (like Ozzie) it will not close. Nice change from the bone rattling slam that always had me cringing for fear of catching a tail or worse.

The increased water in Spring Lake must have brought with it some more fish as there was a hoard of ducks, geese, cormorants and three swans (there were four…nobody seems to know what happened to one of them) gathered in the  lake…at least until Ozzie slipped his lead and charged into the lake after them…not that he would ever have a prayer of catching anything…. 

Presents purchased and wrapped, and lists made, I repaired to Flying goat for an Aztek Mocha. A mom came in with four kids who carefully carried their hot chocolates with whipped cream into the back room. A couple of tourists studied their wine country maps and planned their day. The designated coffee runner from one of the nearby design firms ordered six coffees while two young women exchanged gifts at one of the tall tables in the front room. There were free carriage rides around Railroad Square and a small queue of people of all ages waited their turn at the entrance to the station parking lot. Yet another mode of transportation in this evolving part of town.

More rain and even colder weather is expected this evening and lasting through Christmas. We're told that it is part of this year's El Niño. While we have rain and cold on the West Coast, it is expected to be almost 70F in the Northeast while the South is bracing for tornadoes.