Santa has a busy day

Christmas Eve is a busy one for Santa. There is no snow here so he borrowed a fire truck. I had just finished exercising and was about to shower. It takes a little time to throw on a robe, run down the stairs, and change lenses - I didn't remember to change the shutter speed so there is movement blur, but, it is Santa, isn't there always movement blur? 

It was 8 degrees F this morning when I walked Samuel. Alpaca socks, alpaca leggings under my fleece-lined blue jeans, a warm wear-into-space base layer, an alpaca hoodie, and my warmest coat. This afternoon it has warmed up to 20 degrees.

The difference between the south and the Mid-Atlantic, and Montana, is in the south and Mid-Atlantic, with our weather, they ask us to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. In Montana they put on their heavy coat and gloves. 

Ukraine now has more tanks than Russia. As you know, Russia is the primary donor. 

There is a fun story about how a farming village captured a Russian squad in early March Residents had observation posts. Observers called the local volunteer defense effort and said 11 Russian men were approaching, armed. The farmers only had a few rifles. They knew that if the Russians reached the village they would start shooting people. They assembled and drove out to intercept them. They got help from a nearby settlement. They shouted at the Russians to surrender. The Russians negotiated that they would surrender in exchange for their lives. The farmers agreed, took their weapons, and captured them. The Russians were livid when they learned the farmers were unarmed. 

Ukraine repelled attacks by the Russians on 10 settlements yesterday. 

NATO veterans drove over $2 million worth of equipment and humanitarian supplies to Kyiv Friday, calling it a “Christmas Convoy.” The convoy, led by veterans from the U.S., U.K., Poland, and Australia, consisted of more than 50 cars and military-ready light trucks carrying 75 energy generators, 250 wood-burning stoves, and other critical winter equipment. U.S. Army veteran Taylor Harter, an amputee, brought prosthetics. 
In Kherson there was a man dressed in blue as Saint Mykolai, the Ukrainian version of Sant Nicholas walking around, making children happy.