Day 20,047

Pearl and the Tannenbaum, evaluating the wrapping styles of her family and any early drop-offs by friends and elves.

#misspearl #tannenbaum #presents #dec232023
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1NrK83O6kl/?igsh=dGNlM2x1cHBoaTAy

Day 20,047 continues.

More like scribbles than doodles, Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

All gifts save for three are wrapped, and I will get to those in a bit, after I have rested off tonight’s dinner of drunken noodles with the family. Right now, FIL is back home wrapping, MIL & Mrs. are doing the same upstairs. Pearl is under the tree, and I just finished coloring this.

We got a pair of nice cards from friends in the mail today, both forwarded from our former address.

#doodles #cryptidfamily #roanokeva #scribbles
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1N-_RHsnDP/?igsh=czJxc3gxbmN5Z3Rk

Day 20,046

According to my web search results, the last times it snowed on Christmas in Roanoke, Virginia in the last 50 years are as follows:

– **2018**: 0.1 inch¹
– **2010**: 0.5 inch¹
– **2009**: 0.2 inch¹
– **2002**: 0.1 inch¹
– **1998**: 0.1 inch¹
– **1993**: 1.0 inch¹
– **1989**: 0.1 inch¹
– **1981**: 0.1 inch¹
– **1976**: 0.1 inch¹
– **1975**: 0.1 inch¹

The snowiest Christmas on record in Roanoke was in 1969, when the city received 14.6 inches of snow². That was also the second snowiest December day in Roanoke history, surpassed only by December 9, 2018, when 15 inches of snow fell³.

The average snowfall for Roanoke in December is 2.6 inches¹, and the probability of having a white Christmas (at least 1 inch of snow on the ground) is 7%⁴.

Sources:
(1) Snowiest Winter Season in Roanoke History. https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/roanoke/snowiest-winter-season.
(2) Official Snowfall Records for Roanoke, Virginia | SnowPlowNews. https://blog.snowplownews.com/snowfall_records/roanoke-virginia/.
(3) On the lookout for holiday season snow as cold pattern digs in. https://cardinalnews.org/2022/12/14/on-the-lookout-for-holiday-season-snow-as-cold-pattern-digs-in/.
(4) So, how much snow will Southwest, Central Virginia see this winter?. https://www.wsls.com/features/2022/11/17/so-how-much-snow-will-southwest-central-virginia-see-this-winter/.
(5) HISTORY MADE: Snowiest December day on record in Roanoke – WSLS 10 News. https://www.wsls.com/weather/2018/12/10/history-made-snowiest-december-day-on-record-in-roanoke/.

#roanokeva #doodle #whitechristmas #nevertellmetheodds

Day 20,045

Happy Yule / Solstice, from all of us, to all of you.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, reveling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us—listen!

All the long echoes, sing the same delight,

This Shortest Day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And now so do we, here, now,

This year and every year.

Welcome, Yule!

#doodle #cryptid #family #roanokeva #dec212023

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1IakQPOfQ0/?igsh=MXU0bGY0amp3b2RieA==

Day 20,044

Another day in the life of a shaggy grey monster. The Black Pearl got an oil change, I got a little walk in at the greenway, and got a few lovely cards in the mail from friends, and a couple of gifts to put under the tree.

I got some light wrapping done, myself, and gifted @maximillian_deersteak an early boon of some Christmas-themed socks.

@pearlsquirrel has been exceptionally lovey today, especially to her mama, got in bed and received cuddles happily.

#doodle #cryptid #greenway #roanokeva #dec202023

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Gd_uxMdbv/?igshid=eWlzc3dkNnNoaTMy

Day 20,043

Contrary to yesterday’s journal post, it seems that some snow stuck to the ground.

Sent a few homemade (home-printed) ornaments out to some friends, and was pleased to see the snow blanketing the ground out on the grass and tree branches. It was mostly gone by noontime, but there are patches here and there where shadow makes it harder for sublimation to kick in.

Vegetarian “meatballs”, in tomato sauce, baked potatoes for supper made by MIL – very yummy.

#doodle #snow #dec192023 #cryptid #salemva #blueridgemountains #appalachia
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Dpz9cM5ec/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Day 20,042

Ran all manner of errands today, and caught a few little of flurries of snowflakes falling here and there, some sticking long enough to highlight the ground and parked vehicles for at least a moment or two.

I came home from my mission to find that the tannenbaum had only half a manger-egg ornament hanging from it… the bottom half of the egg on the floor, and the tiny plastic Christ child being carried by his swaddling clothes in the jaws of a particularly pleased Pearl.

I recovered Jesus from his kidnapper, and Larry was kind enough to repair the ornament, and place it on the tree in a more safe location.

This evening we close with dinner, an episode of The Gilded Age, and a little Newheart.

#doodle #snow #weather #roanokeva #ufo #cryptid
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1BJBWTMcUK/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

#larry

Captain America and the Falcon #222 (Gerber/Buscema, June 1978). Holy cow, Jim Shooter’s letting Gerber go nuts with this book. The Lincoln Memorial came to life and attacked Steve, this is amazing.

Day 20,040

No real snow here yet, but the tree has lights and baubles on it.

Feeling bittersweet right now, thinking about the boys and the season sometimes makes my heart heavy when I think on how I miss them, but it also does me well to recall all of the love and comfort that we brought one another.

I am very glad that I still have @maximillian_deersteak , @pearlsquirrell and the rest of my local family to bring me joy and lighten the load.

#doodle #salemva #journal

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Day 20,039

Just a quick and dirty doodle of our little family of five sitting around the TV.

Watching the latest episode of Shetland before a late dinner. Had Daniel and Jacob come by t look at our upstairs heat and gas logs, thankfully the upstairs seems to be an easy fix.

The Roses got part one of our holiday goodies, the handmade stuff will follow soon. I imagine SM and KA got their loot by now, too.

#doodle #cryptid #cryptidfamily #journalupdate #dec152023

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Day 20,038

Did some chores, wrapped and prepped some of the last presents for shipping.

Dinner was a sammie from Joe’s, and after we watched some holiday movies and decorated the tree with lights.

Now, we are taking a popcorn break and watching “your christmas or mine 2” with the mermaid (mrs), jackalope(mil), squirrelcat and mothman (fil)

#doodle #cryptid #tannenbaum #dec142023

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Tannenbaum install day 20,038 Lights and wooden beads on, baubles to follow in a bit.

#tannenbaum #dec142023

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Day 20,037

Got a little Christmas shopping done, got some chores done, had time to take a little walk on the Roanoke River Greenway. 

The water was moving pretty quickly at points, and the weather was quite nice, upper 50s F. I picked up a little litter as I went, and got a phone call from mom as I was cooling down. The geese are pretty much gone, but plenty of mallards were enjoying a duck date, acting like tub toys on the water. Nobody else was on the greenway,   only other person I saw was just having lunch in the parking lot.  The area flora was just dead leaves and grass, I look forward to seeing it with a thin layer of snow on top of the around and branches, with a little ice on the river.

I caught Pearl climbing up inside the lowest of the bottom branches in the tannenbaum,  but by the time I got my phone to snap a pic she had already jumped down. I imagine I’ll have other chances to catch her in the act.

#roanokeva #greenway #roanoakeriver #ducks #doodle #dec132023 #cryptid

Day 20,036

Inlaws brought lights over for the tree, and I think we will put them on tomorrow, given that we have settled in to watch the latest episode of Shetland.

Doodle of Pearl and her Mama dressing the tree as poetic license in the meantime. Actual photos of Pearl taken by the Mermaid this morning are posted after the drawing.

Had leftover baked potato topped with chili for supper, even better the second time around. I’ve got to suss out what we are doing for dinner tomorrow.

#misspearl #doodle #mermaid @pearlsquirrel #thosewhiskers #tannenbaum

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