Merry Christmas!

I don't celebrate Christmas, so I don't put up Christmas decorations. I like Christmas trees, though, and I especially like trees like the one pictured--still alive and in the ground. I have a tree like this, but without the ornaments . . .

In fact, one of the fun things about my home is the pine forest out back that is on the march. It's an army of little Christmas trees. When I bought the land 11 years ago, it included two pastures--one at the top of a hill and one at creek-level at the bottom. Since I don't have grazing animals and didn't want to rent the pastures out, I've let them go wild. In the upper pasture, the pine trees have gone crazy, spreading throughout, despite the thick grass. (There's an opposing army of wild cherry trees, especially pretty in spring and fall, and the two armies have recently crossed into the other's territory.) Anyway, there are hundreds of little pine trees (and other varieties of conifers, including juniper), which is exciting to watch transform the property.

While everyone else will start thinking about un-decorating tomorrow, my house will already be back to normal.

But for today, Merry Christmas to you! And Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too.