When we were walking in Hawn State Park this week, in addition to seeing the armadillo, we also saw a spider. It was not dead, dried and desiccated as one might expect to find one on the first day of winter, but still quite ambulatory. So much so, that it wouldn’t even hang around long enough for me to take its picture. There didn’t use to be armadillos this far north and even in the house, most spiders found the week of Christmas would have already passed. The climate is changing and changing fast enough to be noticed within one lifetime. Science records each new month to be the hottest on record, a record that was just set in the previous month. This is an unsustainable trend. The current administration has wasted the last four years with its head buried in the sand, blissfully ignoring this gathering storm. The new Biden administration promises to address the dangers of climate change. I pray that it is not yet too late.

Anne has her undies all in a bunch, because a package that she first mailed on December 12th, just left Saint Louis this morning, for the third time. She has been tracking all of her packages this season and all except for this one have reached their destinations. Most many days ago. She paid for two-day delivery and now feels that she will be lucky to get a two-week delivery. This one is heading to Boston, which did receive a bit of snow last week. That might have caused one of the two turnarounds. Never mind their motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” A truck’s breakdown could possibly explain the second turnaround or it could be Postmaster DeJoy still screwing with the mail, so that Trump can get reelected. At this point she is not so much concerned that the package makes it by Christmas, even though by Hanukkah was the original goal. I think that she would be happy now, if it finally just got there at all. 

We went for a walk this morning, enjoying another balmy day. Rain is rolling in this afternoon, to be followed by cold, cold, cold, with a low in the teens on Christmas morning. This afternoon, we busied ourselves prepping for our Christmas feast, Anne in the kitchen and me cleaning house. We have invited Joanie over for this meal, easily making it our social event of the 2020 holiday season. There is sure to be plenty of turkey for all.