Almost Here: January 20th!

Since we made it through January 5 with its close Senate runoff and through January 6 with its shocking events, perhaps we'll actually make it through January 20th with, we hope, its peaceful transfer of power.  

The election of the first female VP, the first Black VP, and the first South Asian VP is certainly something to acknowledge and celebrate and Ben and I are planning to toast her and the new President in with a bottle of champagne!   

While waiting for this big day I've weeded out the linen closets (and we still have seven more flat sheets than we really need), taken down all the indoor Christmas decorations (leaving the pretty outside ones to brighten the early dark nights), hung my Canyonlands quilt above the fireplace,  dusted the dining room shelves, and finished two excellent historical novels (The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas and The Personal History of Rachel Dupree by Ann Weisgarber).  Ben made a fabulous Coq Au Vin from scratch, repaired a loose railing on our staircase,  and cleaned the stove and the refrigerator.  Go Ben!

And we have hiked.  My phone tells me that I averaged 2.8 miles a day for the first week of the month and 3.4 for the second.  That's a lot, in my opinion, especially since so many of our routes involve a fair amount of "up."  All that walking is partly because it's a way to do something with friends that is relatively safe in these COVID times.  Lots of my walks/hikes are a social events, for which I'm very grateful.  Of course walking is also great for your body and your mind, and I take many walks by myself listening to books via Audible or just looking at the scenery.  

And another reason for all this activity is this fellow, who would spend most of the day outside if he could.  

Here he is at the off-leash Dry Creek Trail, where he gets to run with other dogs and "play ball" with me and Ben.  Can you spot the ball?  

The Dry Creek trail is a good place to be at sunset.  We don't get to see them from our house as we're too close to the mountains. 

And here is Turbo on the Chapman Trail, which winds up, up, up the back of Flagstaff Mountain. 

All that exercise sure makes for a good rest afterwards! 

Just Monday and Tuesday to go and then we'll inaugurate our 46th President.  I'm looking forward to the big day!