Dancing Around

The song 'Dancing Around the Christmas Tree' comes to mind this time of year.  The phrase 'dance around' means to purposefully avoid or delay something.  



I am focusing more on movement of the feet and body, in the form of dance.

"Dancing Around the World" is generally about using dance as a universal language to connect cultures, explore human commonalities, and share diverse movement traditions.  I like that.

Saturday 12/6 - After a late night dancing on Friday, I didn't wake up until 7:30.  Yikes.  And I crawled out of bed feeling quite rundown.  









I had planned a day off from the ranch so stayed in my PJs all day.  And I even skipped the gym.  



I had gotten my Christmas cards off the table so it can be exclusively a puzzle table, as the puzzle expands each day I add a new section.  But, I have to keep the puzzle covered, so I use a sheet of cardboard with a festive tablecloth on top.  I had my computer playing Christmas music and I was 'dancing around' the house putting finishing touches on the decorating.  




I have done fairly well at keeping the decorations to a minimum this year.  As usual, I set up a card table to put stuff on as I sort through what I have.  














↑ Monita up on the table 'helping' this year and Stevie 'helping' a few years ago. →  Gosh I miss her.

It was a pretty day outside, nice and sunny, and I really should have gone out to work on leaf clean-up.  But I was dancing around the matter of doing that unpleasant task.










Joe had stayed in Nashville Friday night because he was going to the 7:00 Music City Madness: TN vs. IL basketball game with Courtney.


Meanwhile, I had rallied to get up the energy to go for another round of dancing.  Micki picked me up, then we got Johnny, and we went to Club 1660.  They had a Santa up on stage, dancing all night long (video).
 
They had a DJ taking requests and playing dance music, so it was non-stop dancing to many old favorites.  


Later a younger crowd showed up and the DJ switched to club music - which encompasses genres like House, Techno, Trance, Hip-Hop, and Pop remixes.  The music is defined by strong rhythms and beats designed to keep crowds moving.  It wasn't really our style, but we hung in there.  



At one point several of us got up on stage and were dancing around the 'dancing' Santa.  Notice there were both young and old joining in, and all were having a good time.  

We stayed a little past midnight, having danced for four hours, until ready to go.

Sunday 12/7 - It was National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.  A time in which we remember and honor the 2,403 service members and civilians who lost their lives that tragic morning.  

I didn't get up until 7:30, so had to shorten my morning routine to get to Church by 9am.  

Shadow waits for me to take corn out to the deer, and then comes dancing around me, rubbing on my legs, to get me to feed him.  This morning he gave up and took a nap right outside my window.  




Looks like Wanda left me a gift, quite awhile ago, that I noticed when I went to set my tack box down on this bench.  Just goes to show, she is not that hungry.  
  
  




Patty fed early, so I didn't tack up Rico until after he ate.  He stood very calmly for me, no dancing around, for which I was most happy.





I had the 'don't shoot me' orange cloth around Rico's neck, in case he were to dump me and run off.  He did much better today at the construction site, which we rode past.  And thankfully, there was no gun fire while we were out on the trail.  

Riding back past the construction a little later, Rico started getting nervous and dancing around.  

    
I got him to stop, and look what he heard and then saw... a car coming down Marmaduke.  (The headlights are circled in this photo.)




Rico did a wonderful job out on the trail today.  He walked out much better than usual, only hesitating a few times, but continued on when I nudged him.  And he gaited very well; smooth, fairly fast, and keeping up the pace until I slowed him back down (video).  He was picking his feet up well and only had a few startles, no big spooks.

I fed Amiga and Zorro and chatted with Debra before leaving.  

On the way home, I noticed this 'lone' cow out in the 'front yard' of the Stables.  









Here is a blurry enlargement of that photo.
For dinner I finished off the last of the salads left over from last Friday's luncheon.  Falling asleep at my computer, I went to bed just after 7pm. 

Monday 12/8 - I did not take any photos today, so here is a look at the ultimate Catmas Tree!  In fact, I did not do much worth mentioning all day long.  

I had woken up at 2:30, getting a little over seven hours of sleep.  But then I took two naps.  Scheesh.  

Sunlight was nonexistent due to low hanging, thick, gray clouds.  There was moisture in the air causing that cold, damp feeling.  I could not get warmed up and felt rundown all day.  

I did make myself go to the gym and muddled through an arm/ab workout, never getting that burst of renewed energy I usually experience.  I drove home in a freezing sleet.      

Tuesday 12/9 - I was up at 2am with only five hours of sleep logged in.  I did my usual blogging, Facebook scrolling, emailing, and gaming.  Then from 6 to 8 I went to the gym for an aerobic workout.  It was very strange to be exercising that early, and more difficult than usual, but I got it done.

I was at the ranch by 11:15 to give Amiga Previcox and help Debra hang pictures in her bedroom.  Then we went for a hike/walk to show her the trail/undeveloped roads back behind our ranch, in Fairfield Glade. 

I took these pictures of the boys eating hay after I had fed them, but Rico started walking off before I could snap the photo... and he went to get a drink.
  
   

Joe and I had dinner at Stonehenge restaurant.  These gingerbread houses made up a little village just outside the restaurant.  








We were home by 6:30 and I decided rather than to get on the computer, I would sit by the fire to read.  Monita liked that idea, laying on the blanket over my legs.  I did not last long, due to the fact that I'd been up since 2am without a nap.  😞

Wednesday 12/10 - I didn't wake until 4:30, giving me nine full hours of sleep.  The sunrise sky was pretty this morning.  

Patty, Polly and I met with Gerry Miller (head of the Member Awareness Committee) to discuss possibilities and a plan of action for trying to get the stables re-opened.  We definitely had varying ideas and time lines.  I don't know if there is any hope or not.  

Patty and I had planned to ride, but the forecast was 'off' and it was much colder and windier than expected.  So she cancelled.  I hemmed and hawed with myself, or danced around the decision of whether to ride or even go out to the ranch to give Amiga her pill.



In the end, I wound up staying home. 



I tended to household tasks and finished all my decorating (inside and out).  We had a very short hail storm just after I finished putting these 'Snoopy' type lights on this little bush (video).

Then I stowed away all the leftover Christmas clutter; decorations I would not be using this year because I did a 'Tiny' Christmas, with less decorations.

Joe and I watched a riveting episode of Survivor.  It was filled with stellar 'acting,' the best Tribal Council of the season (so far), and all sorts of hullabaloo with lies, back stabbing, and emotional breakdowns.

Thursday 12/11 - My pets don't dance around the Christmas tree, but there is certainly a lot of playing that goes on under or around it. 

I love this 'hand-me-down' wreath and matching bows from Jan.  They are hung here in the barn until I can find a good spot for them.  






I dropped in at the ranch at 10am to give Amiga her pill and drop off some things, before continuing on, into town.

I wasn't exactly dancing around in the stores, or from store to store.  There were lines EVERYWHERE, including backed up traffic, so the going was very slow.  Also, I couldn't find everything I was looking for and I got distracted by some other stuff I thought I might need or want to buy.  

Due to the slowness of my shopping experience, I did not get home until 3:15, and by the time I had everything unloaded, sorted through, and put away, it was just too late to have time for the gym.  
Every year I get out the Christmas 'singing dog' toy, which dances around, and Maggie loves (video).  But she is not allowed to harm it.  So she redirects her 'kill' urge on her squeaky/crinkly corn toy.  

Joe and I watched a show that Jan had recommended.  It was interesting, eye opening, and sobering to watch; and imagine this miraculous occurrence.

Friday 12/12 - The bulk of my day (11-5) was spent working at the ranch.  Joe joined me a little later and we 'wrangled' leaves.  He mowed/mulched piles that had collected in the side pasture, to keep them from blowing into the pond.  I raked them out from under the evergreens planted along the fence line.

Once Joe was finished with the mower, I used it to haul (five loads of) leaves down behind the barn into the woods.








While I drove the riding mower, pulling the wagon, back and forth to dump my loads (video); Joe used the tractor to haul fresh manure to the back pasture pile, and bring three bucket loads of older, decomposed 'stuff' to the chicken yard.

The girls had a "heyday" in the two piles of manure, digging through it all and basically spreading it out, all over the numerous holes in the yard.  

This one hen found what I believe was a frog (probably hibernating in the manure) and ran off with it so the other hens wouldn't try to take it from her (video).

These two photos show a 'during cleanup' of leaves behind the chicken coop... and after I was done.  

The lattice in the first photo was to keep the girls from coming back there, and in the second photo, the cinder blocks will hold the lattice in place at the other end, so chickens have access behind the coop but can't escape.

In the next photo, you can see where the girls had flattened the first pile (towards the coop) of manure and at the bottom of the photo, a black hen starting in on the second pile Joe had just dumped.



I am sure they were finding plenty of grubs, and the additional frog.  










After dumping my fifth and final load of debris, it was getting so late that I just parked the mower at the barn and started chores down there.  Right away I discovered water on the tack room floor, behind and under the sink, water heater, refrigerator and feed bins.  UGH!  It is always something.

The geldings had been waiting on me, and all did very well at feeding time, with even Rico standing patiently in his section of the shed before I got gates into position.

Cash helping me distribute hay after he was done eating.

  





Before Joe left, he had helped me dig these holes to plant the three evergreens I had bought.  However, I wasn't going to be able to finish planting them today.  

I almost forgot to let Amiga out of her shed/stall before going in to chat with Debra, who had just gotten home.  With the sun setting, it was getting dark when I did open her shed gate.

I was in bed asleep, long before Poker Joe got home.