It's a gray day in Northern California. But in a few hours, it will be time to turn on the Christmas lights and light the fireplace and settle in with a glass of wine. No danger of snow here, thankfully! And in a few days, we should receive a little more rain, which will make the vines happy. It's nice to watch the birds sail into the vines to collect some of the fruit still clinging there... I assume the deer are still visiting as well, although we haven't seen any recently. 

Inside, the tree waits patiently for presents to be settled underneath her branches... not so much Cassidy, who has been expecting Christmas morning every day for a few days now. Patrick's nutcrackers stand sentry over the kitchen and my elves lounge in the tree, on shelves, and among the other decorations scattered around the house. It's a generally quiet and restful holiday here. Hope you are enjoying the same!