The day began with me setting up the agility course and again having Hrimmi do it. We went to post the video last night and realized that I, yes I, could do better. It did not take long to make the video. Hrimmi said to me “okay, I’m ready, let’s go,” and she did everything asked, perfectly. So all three videos did get done – a herculean effort, considering the weather and the short amount of time we had to do this.

Pete had a plan and El and I followed suit. This was, ASAP, to get in the car and drive north, as far as we possibly could in a day, so that El could see Denali and the Alaska Range. The weather cooperated – it was sunny, temps leaving here in the low 20s,

up north, past Talkeetna, in the single digits. And the scenery – it was like a winter wonderland what with having a blue, cloudless sky. The snow hung on the spruce trees, heavy, making it look for miles and miles like a white forest.

On the way up and back El talked a great deal about her life in Portland. I was happy to just hang in the back seat and listen. She’s had it very hard the past few years, getting used to the absence of my mother and having to deal with the stresses related to teaching in a poor school. I think she’s again genuinely happy, and so in this respect I breathed a sigh of relief because during her hard time I never ceased to worry about her. I’d think, hmm, I’m happy, and then I’d think no I am not happy because Eleanor isn’t happy. This is the normal course of things when two sisters are both related and close.

We got to Talkeetna at dark – it was like a winter wonderland, with the snow hanging on the roofs and piled by the side of the roads. We ate dinner in at the brew pub – I so wished we were going to spend two nights there and go for long cross country ski treks. But no, we have horses here to tend to, and as of yet, no horse sitters. It mystifies me as to why we have not yet found someone, much less someone capable and competent. This, right now would be the main thing I would wish for.

Once at home, I cleaned the pen and then took Tinni and Ryder for a walk. I was glad to have done this because the moon was full and it was just warm enough to make walking easy. In my head I planned something really fun. We are going to get the crochet set out and we are going to play a game or two or three in the Playground of higher knowledge. This, I suspect, is going to be as cut throat as Scrabble. If I wasn’t going to do agility in January, I would turn it into a skating arena. Playing hockey would be fun . . .

Next: 358. 12/24/18: The Best Christmas Eve, Ever