Winter Wanderings and Upbeat Wonderment.

I took a few pictures around the place yesterday---none with any particular mission in mind except to try out my new computer set-up this morning.

All is complete except for a few wrinkles that need to be worked out between me and my browsers.

Otherwise, the printer works with the computer's direction, and I now have my "whole life" on the new machine. 

Only a portion showed up the day before yesterday when I first looked at my list of documents, and that portion included very few of my publication materials.

So, the computer went back to the wizard for a couple of hours, and Joel from Laser Image manually saw to it that everything transferred this time.  

Something about an ancient system feebly attempting to pass along stuff to the new kid on our computer block.

All is well.  Pictures loaded just fine, so I'm ready to welcome the next few years of computer bliss here at my desk upstairs.

Meanwhile, in my wanderings yesterday, Kiwi, as always, was guarding the big blue ball.  

That's what older dogs do while the younger ones cavort about in the powdery snow and race across the field two abreast, connected by one long stick, clenched between two sets of Border Collie teeth.

Hay field fun has been extra special for the Border Collie Nation Plus One cuz that's where Mom does her daily walkabout---about four times around the field.  That gives the pups plenty of time to play.

We went out twice yesterday, and on our way back, Lily and Lefty thought surely it was time for Mom to open the gate and let them into the barn.

"Not yet," I told Lily. "You have another hour."  

Horses kinda like to "spring forward" on their time clocks during the winter months because standing around in the barnyard tends to get boring after every last nibble of hay has disappeared from the ground.

So, there are many days when I have to tell Lily that her clock is running a bit fast.

After telling the Border Collie Nation plus One to "report," I shut the garage door and moved on to the front yard where picture taking would be less stressful without dogs sneaking off or getting too close to the road.

The house looks kinda pretty with its sparkly lights and bright red bows with bells.  I figure in a couple of years, after getting used to the deck roof, I'll develop the light show into something rather spectacular. 

For now, simple seems best. 

On this morning following one of the best and most breath-taking (literally) Gonzaga victories we've seen in some time, I'm feeling especially upbeat to learn that our new and wonderful Pope has been named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year," even if Rush thinks he's a Socialist.

I like Pope Francis----a lot.  He may eventually bring some of us strays back to the fold with his refreshing sense of humanity and the example he seems to set through his own personal lifestyle choices.  

So, that's good news.

And, along with that, I'm surprised that the earth hasn't shaken with news that a Democrat and a Republican WORKED TOGETHER on trying to solve the endless budget debacle. 

There's hope in this world this morning, it seems.   HOPE it lasts.  

Happy Wednesday.