So far, so good for the holiday...

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year...because we're out of school/work for two whole weeks!  Monday night we stayed up waaaaaay too late for moon viewing--total lunar eclipse, pretty cool.  But "cool" it has not been.  It was 85 for the winter solstice.  The first season change that I've actually been prepared to mark with a celebration dinner (that's one of my 42 by 41) and it was freakishly unseasonable.  I did make the best beef stew EVER, but we had the A/C on all day! We even had a ladybug roaming around the house!  She's up there above the smiley face.  We let her go outside...which may not have been in her best interest.  It's been pretty cool outside today...good luck, ladybug!

Little Miss and I had to get to the library today since it will be closed the rest of the break.  Lunch at McDonald's was called for, and, of course, it's never too chilly to eat outside near the playground.  We wore our matching jingle bell bracelets, but she felt her outfit really called for the Christmas tree pin I was wearing--con artist.

She's even perfected her "Who?  Me?" look.  Tomorrow she'll be asking to borrow the car.

Since one playground a day is never enough, we visited the Firefighter's Park/Playground for the first time today, also.

The equipment was limited, but we had it to ourselves and, since there's no shade whatsoever, it was nice and warm.  That probably won't be a plus any other time of the year, but in winter it's a plus.

I cannot get enough of that missing front tooth gap!

Since we were near the Square, Little Miss suggested we take a walk around it.  She's five and she enjoys browsing the shops on the Square...I never expected this.  My favorite parking space was open, and from it we saw that the Old Jail Museum was open...an adventure!  I just tried to put in a link to the museum, but there's not a website.  Sorry.  Hours are spotty, $2/adults, $1/kids.  They were having an open house today, so it was free (love that!) and the docents were most entertaining.  I hadn't been since 1985, and it seemed like there were more displays of local history this time.  I would like to go back and really look at it all.  Little Miss was preoccupied with the "ghost" that lives (?) upstairs.  Another 42 by 41 item on my list was to get involved in local history...geez, I guess I have to look into volunteering at the Jail Museum!?

Here's Little Miss standing in what had been the living quarters for the jailer and family.

I think she's scared straight.

We did get to see the "ghost" from the inside, but Little Miss would go no where near it, thank you very much.  Or as she would say, "Oh, for Pete's steak!"

There he is in the second story window!  A lovely half hour with local history.  Now, it was time to walk the Square!

Christmas photo ops abounded.  The gazebo was open and decorated, but the continuing work on the courthouse made it little less than picturesque.

This year, the Merchant's Guild put giant Christmas trees on the four corners of the Square and different merchants/groups decorated each one.  This was the most colorful, and thus the winner of Little Miss's Choice Award.

After making it 3/4 of the way around, we were ready for a sit-down.  And the kind people at Granbury Live! theater do have lovely outdoor seating.

There's that gap again!

We called Loverboy as we headed home.  He had just pulled into the Nature Center for a walk, but we convinced him to wait for us.  Playgrounds, shopping and now nature!  What a day!  It was pretty chilly by this point, but we took some new trails and saw some new sights.  I'm lucky to have two animal poop experts to walk with.  My  daughter, MY DAUGHTER!, who was hoofing along in front of me, said, over her shoulder, not even slowing down, "Watch out for the coyote poop.  It ate a lot of berries."  Well, thanks.

Berry festooned poop notwithstanding, it is a pretty place for a walk.

Life is good.  Holidays are good.