Afternoon Brilliance

Ya just have to run fast to get a camera cuz scenes like this go away just as fast as they show up.  Fortunately, I ran fast enough to catch some of the afternoon winter glory show yesterday. 

It all happened during the usual trip to the barn to put the horses in their stalls for the night.  

The second the barn door closed (easier than usual but requiring a lot of muscle)
I looked up and saw the sky ablaze with fascinating cloud patterns amidst sheets of amazing pinks, grays and yellows. 

Twas exhilarating, to say the least.  And brief. I think the show lasted all of about five minutes, and then the sky returned to the routine of its daily journey toward darkness.

The fleeting nature of yesterday's brilliant sky show pretty much parallels this past week with much anticipated holiday activities seemingly in and out with a flash.  

Today Annie heads back to Seattle.  Before she leaves, we're hoping to see Willie and Debbie who went to Boise for Christmas.  Since then, Willie has flown back to Spokane where he was involved in a three-day holiday basketball tournament, finishing off yesterday with a convincing win. 

Debbie drove back from Boise yesterday with the three grandpups.  In the meantime, a bunch of us gathered at the Lovestead for food, of course, and last night's WCC season opener for the ZAGS.  

Now, 13-0 and ranked seventh, it's looking like they might move up even further in the polls, since two teams ranked above them lost yesterday.  The ZAGS just need to win their second league game against Pacific tomorrow. 

We'll be pretty much back to the mundane winter stuff after tomorrow when we celebrate my sister Barbara's birthday AND watch the ZAGS.  

In between all the planned activities, with Annie operating the remote, we've watched a lot of TV shows which I rarely see.  I've noticed myself being drawn in to those reality wonders like Tyra Banks "America's Top Model" and the"Alaskan Bush People"-----both filled with drama----maybe just a bit hyped up. 

Those Alaska bush people are just truly amazing with their innovative strategies and their tight family bond.  

One episode involved a segment with the brothers going to a restaurant in a nearby village where, one by one, they used a phone to call prospective mates, found through an online dating site.  I think we may see the results of those calls in the new season, which is supposed to start up in January. 

And, Ma Brown----she shed a few apprehensive tears when an Alaskan state trooper asked her to with meet him.  Seems her family from down in Texas has been watching the show and is sure she's been abused by her hubby and the kids. 

Well, by golly, that got the dander up, and the Alaskan family really came together with insistance that no such abuse has ever occurred.  Maybe we'll learn about the outcome of that situation next season too.

Anywho---we're about to see a new reality show in all its glory coming to a station near us, beginniing January 20, and it could be that show will trump anything the Alaskan Bush people or Tyra Banks could muster up.

Guaranteed to be a jaw-dropping nail biter and chronic head scratcher, constantly keeping us on the edge of our seat cuz we can never guess which way the action's gonna turn.

The really nice part is that we'll get to watch that show every single day---even 24-7 if we wish.  Can ya tell I'm excited?

Could be that TV remote will get more use than ever, especially the "OFF" switch. 

In the meantime, we'll just keep enjoying outdoor beauty so generously bestowed upon us, along with making sure there's plenty of wood for the fire during the next few days of January Big Chill. 

Happy Friday.