Christmas is not a secular holiday. It has the word Christ in it. Non-believers and those of other faiths do get sucked into the vortex – if you don’t buy into it, no pun intended, then you are labeled a Scrooge. This is so very strange. And how is it that Christ child, born in a manager in December, is crucified in the spring, when theoretically, he is just a few months old? This makes no sense to me.

I am usually quite content to just make note of Christmas in passing. I do like the lights and the wreaths on the trees. And I like the Christmas eve tradition of giving those in your household a book on this particular day.

This year, things are way different. The lights have been strung up in most places. And there are wreaths on the door. But the pre-election feeling of worry has been replaced with a feeling of sadness. So many have died, and in my estimation, they have been the wrong people.

And now the state and federal governments are going to give us all big chunks of money in order to make up for our supposedly distressed state of being. Huh? Cheap gas prices and big fat checks

Hrimmi with cone

will just encourage them to spend more on their toys.

We are now down to riding two of our trails. We have three loops but riding the third one means, that quite literally, we take our own lives in our hands. Those on machines move at great speed and do not slow down or stop. At least we have the other two trails. And we only take our lives in one hand if we get out early on the weekdays.

Around here, the most deleterious virus-related effect has been on the educational system. The kids aren’t getting a classroom education. Some may have taken to home schooling. But many, and this includes a good percentage of the ‘bilers, are no schoolers. Their parents must reason that being out there in the woods keeps them from getting into trouble during the day time. I do not know what they are doing at night. I know this, they aren’t studying. Most likely they are watching violent movies and playing video games.

Well, on the positive side of things, I had a lovely ride on Hrimmi today. I’m taking her out with Shadow on her back and then riding her with the bareback pad. Then later, Pete and I got Raudi and Tyra out. So, I had two good rides. I am allowing Tyra to now set the pace, previously I was holding her back. I let her go fast down hills, then on Suicide Hill, after she’d expended energy, I had her whoa several times.

The new cinch will be here in a few weeks.

Wow. Tomorrow is Christmas Heave. Who would have thunk it?

Next: 353. 12/24/20: Christmas Eve, 2020: In the Absence of Tradition