Some things (Christmas cards and decorating) were more urgent than others (buying gifts, setting up guest rooms and beds, and planning meals). And then there were things like planning and preparing for activities, such as horseback riding (keeping the horses in shape for it) and making a timeline for what and when to do different things (hiking, golfing, looking at lights, etc.)
While finishing and posting last week's blog, I did flea combing of cats, several different times. I got several off Monita, and a few off Babe. I do NOT want fleas anywhere when we have a house full of guests!
I got in a decent gym workout (although sluggish from all the Thanksgiving gluttony of rich foods, desserts, and extra beer) but had to skip my stretching because I needed to get to the ranch to work with Joe. We set up this single square bale hay feeder in the upper paddock.
Patty arrived early for evening chores and helped me tape the insulating cover back on the heat duct in the guest bedroom closet. Then I did some work with Rico. Dorado wanted to 'help' with the grooming. I worked Rico in the round pen and was happy with his focus on me and his progress.
Wanda was 'helping' Patty finish up chores when I left.
Later Patty sent these two photos of the 'boys' checking out the new square bale hay feeder. You can see in the second photo that they had started pulling the whole bale up out of the old water tank. The sun was also setting and the sky looking pretty.
Joe had set up our brand new (end of Christmas sale last
year) pre-lit tree. What a delight to plug it in and see it light up.
And, I was surprised that the tree also revolves. Mama Styx was
watching the connected tag/wire, circle around the base of the tree stand. I still need to 'fluff' the branches, hang ornaments, move boxes out of the room and put a pretty skirt under it. But I was still excited to have this much done.
Monita looking to see what was so interesting to Styx.
Joe and I had both had big lunches, so snacked for dinner and watched Survivor together.
Sunday 12/1 - After church with Shirley, I scrambled to get to the ranch and ready to trailer into the Glade with Betty. 
Betty
was test driving our truck and pulling our trailer. Joe came along to
take the trailer back to the ranch. He also took several photos for us.
I really enjoy Betty's company and we have a lot of fun together.
I know our silly horses like each other too.
We had trailered to the Overlook trail head, and took Arrowrock Rd out from there, and then rode around in the Windsor/Thornhill neighborhoods. Well, most of it was quite remote = there were no houses.
Riding past a house of a friend from the pool.
We rode our horses across the Lake Malvern spillway, which was no big deal because there was no water running in it. Betty took a (video) of me riding Rico in a nice smooth gait along the dam. 
I got a photo (or two) of Betty and she took some of me.
As you can see from the sky in the photos, it was overcast. And it was a tad cold (very low 40's) but at least it was calm (no wind). It wasn't as scary for Rico (he never spooked) especially having his best bud Dorado along.
This was another friends house who also frequents Dorchester Pool (in the summer time).
We arrived back at the barn, having covered 8.1 miles, in over 2½ hours in the saddle. We un-tacked at the trailer, where Joe had parked it, and put everything back in the trailer, ready to go again.
Betty and I re-configured the hay for our two boys because the setup for them hadn't worked overnight.
The 'boys' had pulled the whole thing (netted square bale) out of the old water tank and knocked the tank off of the wooden pallet. So we took the square bale out of the net and put it loose in the water tank that we set on the floor of the larger run-in shed.
I got home at 3:30, cold and hungry, and a tad tired. All three cats (napping in close proximity) woke upon my arrival. I had a hot meal for lunder (a new term I heard for a late lunch/early dinner). After Sunday weekly chores and some computer advent calendar games, I was in bed with the lights out at 8:10. I was just too sleepy.
Monday
12/2 - Patty had also taken a photo of Rico's muzzle. He is finally growing his whiskers back, that were all shaved off his face (nose & cheeks) and even inside his ears.
It had not been a good night of sleep. I was woken when Joe
came to bed and then I couldn't get back to sleep. Monita (who was on
the bed) kept licking and scratching. I had terrifying thoughts of a
reoccurring flea outbreak and re-infestation. And then I started
itching. I finally got up shortly after midnight. I gave Monita a good
combing and got probably a dozen fleas off her, about half adults and
half tiny babies. UGH!!! Later I did get a 2hr nap.
I worked on Christmas cards after blogging and doing advent calendar activities. Mama Styx and Monita came by a few times to check things out. I continued with flea combing anytime any of the cats (mostly Monita and sometimes Babe) were licking and itching themselves. I only got a few off Babe and eventually no more were on Monita, so maybe just the bites itched.
By 3:00 I had all my cards addressed and personalized. I did much less this year (only 38) in an attempt to cut back. I took the annual holiday letter to The Center to get copies made. It is very festive in there. This is an earlier photo of my boss, Abby.
I spent 2½ hours at the gym, including a good stretch and balance session at the end. For some reason, I was feeling rather sore in several places, so did extra stretching. 
Joe and I watched another episode of the James Patterson 'Cross' series. I did one more flea combing of cats before bed, and was relieved to not have any fleas on them. By the time I climbed into bed (an early 7:45) we had gotten a light dusting of snow.
Tuesday 12/3 -I took several photos when walking Maggie at daybreak, of our light dusting of snow. It sure put me in the Christmas mood. I was ready to hit the decorating hard. But my day came and went before I knew it, and decorating would have to wait.
From the front, our house does not look at all festive.
A view of the backyard and the white golf green. Looking at the house from down back, it has a more Christmasy appearance (next photo).
Only Monita had one tiny flea on her during the early morning flea combing session. I was feeling more hopeful. I still don’t understand why we keep having fleas appear, but not on Mama Styx.
I had made phone calls and eventually got calls back from the vet and genetic counselor (third one I have tried to make an appointment with).
I set up an appointment with the geneticist but the vet office wouldn't schedule appointments until they got all my cats' vet history, which they wouldn't take over the phone. So I made a quick trip to the office with my file and they copied a bunch of my old bills, showing prior veterinary care. And I scheduled the cats for Thursday. I hit the post office next, to mail all the cards I had stuffed with the yearly newsletter, getting one weighed and marked for hand scanning. Then I drove to the ranch to feed and muck. Betty was there and had mucked for me. I winterized the hayloft for Wanda, but she seems to prefer sleeping between the bales of hay in the shop.
My evening ended early to bed to read, but staying up to finish my James Patterson book.
Wednesday 12/4 - The main event today was trailering to Celtic Rose with Betty and meeting Jan there for a trail ride. But first while we waited for the wind to die down and the day to warm up a little more, I did some preparation for decorating, taking all the stuff off the tables, shelves, walls, and floor; to replace with Christmas decorations. I washed/vacuumed all surfaces and was ready to decorate. I un-boxed several decorations and placed a few in their designated places.
When it was 'go' time (10:45), I met Betty at the ranch. She and Joe had the trailer hooked up to Betty's truck, and soon we were loaded and on our way. An easy 40 minute drive, no problems loading or unloading, and we were tacked and in the indoor arena with Jan, doing some obstacles.
We proceeded outside to do some more obstacle work there. Rico was a bit wound up, so I didn't push him to do much. He wasn't well focused on me, yet.
Soon we hit the trail and Rico settled right in. Jan led the way on Cash while Betty and I alternated being in the middle or last. It had been breezy out at the barn, but once down in the woods, it was much nicer.
Betty took lots of photos and videos. I got several as well. But we have noticed as soon as we pulled our phones out, our horses no longer stood still and would get antsy and start goofing off.
Rico did fantastic today! No spooks, picked up a gait and canter and came right back down to a walk with no problem (video). I was so pleased with him.
I was also quite impressed with how willing he was to try different obstacles once we got back to the barn.
He put his two front feet up on the teeter totter, pushed the pole around the circle, stepped over the high ground poles clearing them each time, and walked through the wagon train without hesitation (video). Inside the arena, he had done the weave poles and pushed the big ball.
The wind had picked up and it was starting to get cold as we untacked at the trailer.
Rico got a little anxious because he couldn't see Dorado, who was on the other side of the trailer. Also the wind was noisy, and two alpacas in the neighbors field started coming towards us. He did a lot of looking around and moving his back end side to side, but at least he didn't sit back or try to escape.
And oh my gosh, look how pretty he was with his mane blowing in the wind.
Loading and driving back to our ranch went easy-peasy. Betty does a fantastic job with trailering. The temperature was dropping, and my fingers were cold by the time we got the horses settled back in and the trailer un-hitchhed.
We got our tack stored, organized our feed, and went up to feed the boys.
← Do you see what I saw?
As I was leaving the lower paddock, I noticed this large hawk perched on the fence. I hoped he wasn't big enough to get Wanda. I am always thankful to have mice and such eradicated from the barn yard.
It was 5:00 dark when I got home. I was glad there were left-overs so I didn't have to decide what to fix and take the time to do so. There was no energy left to do any more decorating after I had taken care of mine and the pet's personal needs.
Thursday 12/5 - Even though the holidays are very busy times, I need to keep up with gym workouts, so as not to loose too much conditioning or gain too much weight over the holidays.
My jaunt to the gym lasted 2½ hours. After a quick lunch I was at a member awareness meeting at 1:00 at the library building. There were 80+ people in attendance. There was so much more exposed about the board, than just the 'small' issue of Wildwood Stables being closed.
I had to skip out of the meeting early because I had a 3:00 vet appointment with the cats. In preparation for holiday guests, I wanted to do whatever was necessary to get rid of fleas. In this photo, I have all three cats loaded in their crates and was stopped at a red light.
Below - The cat 'pow-wow' in the exam room. 
Each cat got their start up patient care examine, and got a rabies shot and flea med application. Most of Monita and Babe's itching was due to flea bites and skin irritation, so they were put on a steroid. Mama Styx has not been scratching (like people, some cats don't react to the bites). I was also instructed to keep up on the elimination of flea's from the environment (house).
When the cats were released from their carriers once home, they all went into hiding. It was soon dinner time and only Babe appeared to eat. Eventually Monta and Styx ate a little bit of the can food. Monita was being a 'growly' girl, not wanting the other cats or me near her. I wasn't even going to try to give the oral steroid med this evening.
Joe and I watched Survivor. The game play/strategy of players has really advanced from former years.
Friday 12/6 - Our living room has looked like this since Wednesday morning, although I did hang my Christmas wreath on the chimney and move the ladder so I could see the TV that night. Well, this morning I started decorating the mantel, but quickly ran into a snag with the lights, and would need to buy replacements.
Joe and I went to the ranch at noon. I had recruited him to help me with de-icing the water troughs. I moved some feed bins around in addition to doing chores, and then headed into town about 2:00.
This is Stevie, up on a ladder over two years ago.
Having the ladder out reminded me of Stevie and her love for climbing ladders. This year, the ladder sits empty, and there is no Stevie entertaining me with her antics. Man, I still miss her. Although, she is not here scaring me half to death like she did on a contractor's really tall ladder several years ago (video).
Anytime there was a ladder out for cleaning or decorating, you could count on Stevie to climb up it and usually perch at the top.
It was almost six when I got home, with new lights and lots of other stuff, but not the flea spray for the house that the vet had recommended. Also, when unloading the car and stowing away everything, I realized the bagger did not put the sack with my two boxes of tea and bunch of bananas in the cart, so I got home without them. Ugghhh!
Stevie last year.
My cheerful mood continued to darken when I tried to give Monita and Babe their steroid medicine before their dinner. Both of them hated it, overreacted, and got more on me than down their throats. And Monita might have aspirated some of it because it was coming out her nose. On top of that, Mama Styx was acting sick and did not eat her canned food.
I was in no mood for Christmas preparations, so went to bed early to read, instead of working on decorating.
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