It's hard to believe that 2007 is coming to an end. The year has flown by, as always.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Steve and I spent Christmas with our friends Randy and Celeste and had a fantastic time. Celeste is a closet culinary expert. She watches the cooking channel religiously and DVRs anything she can't watch. She must have been a chef in another life, because she is awesome.

Now, those who know me fairly well know that I am the pickiest eater alive. However, my husband is not. While I was very selective with what I tasted, Steve enjoyed everything Celeste prepared. Her appetizer spread was amazing! Those things I enjoyed: pureed turkey (pate texture) with cranberry spread on little toasted finger sandwiches, ham wedges with spicy mustard served on smashed and fried plantain banana crisps, baked brie cheese in phyllo turnovers. Steve loved all the seafood (crab, shrimp, bacon wrapped scallops) and even indulged in sweetbreads kabobs (*sticks tongue out*). They kept telling me that I was missing out on some great food, but I didn't feel bad about that. I told them that meant there was more for them!

Dinner was prime rib (she even cooked mine longer since I'm not a fan of rare meat, which I appreciated), Yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts (which I actually tried for the first time ever - they weren't too bad), and collard greens (I tried this too - first time ever - but didn't like it.. it tasted like grass to me). Dessert was a delicious bread pudding, and Celeste made an extra pan that she sent home with us. What a sweetheart!

The more time we spend with this couple, the more blessed we feel that they are in our lives. I really feel like we are kindred spirits, in so many ways. And there is so much laughter when we're together! Best of all... they're not military, so they're not moving anytime soon (although they do have tentative plans to retire abroad when the time comes).

It was an awesome evening, and if not for the fact that Steve had to get up at 3:30am to go to work the next day, we would have stayed a lot later than we did.

A couple of days ago, I took Sedona with me while running errands. I stopped at Michael's Crafts and bought a pre-lit tabletop tree that was discounted greatly. The huge Christmas tree we have is just too much work to assemble, now that it's just Steve and I at home (and I'm the one who does the assembling). The little one will be just right for our home. After errands, I stopped at Creamers Field and took a short walk with Sedona. It was cold (-15F), and I wasn't fully prepared for a long walk through the grounds. The loop around the barn was just enough for both of us. Sedona enjoyed the new smells.

An online friend of mine turned me onto a site where you can download free books. They're in PDF format and you can print them out if you have a lot of paper and ink, or read them on your monitor - which is what I have been doing, since I spend so much time on the computer anyway.

The site is called WOWIO: Free books * Free minds. You do have to register, and you can't use an email address like Yahoo or Hotmail to do it. I joined about a month ago, and I haven't seen an increase in spam in my inbox, and the benefits (free books) is well worth it.

You can download three books per day. You choose the books you want, and add them to your queue. You can choose what order they come up for download in too. I've downloaded countless books about photography, including books with tips on how to use Photoshop to enhance photos. I've downloaded cookbooks, novels, informational books about women's health, traveling, and history - and many more, to include classics, poetry, and puzzle books. There are books to suit every taste on this site - and comic books too, if that's your interest - as well as some books for kids. Check it out!

Yesterday (Sunday), there was supposed to be a dogsled race at Mushers Headquarters. I double-checked the website to make sure they were going to be held, as they have been canceled up until now due to lack of snow, too-cold weather, and bad trails. The website indicated that they were indeed going to happen.

Steve and I bundled up for the -10F weather, I charged my camera batteries, and we took off for the race grounds. When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw several other cars idling (with people inside), but no sign of mushers or trucks with dog boxes on the back. We thought perhaps the race was going to start late and waited around for about 30 minutes. Finally, one of the other people waiting called the phone number posted on the bulletin board near the front door and found out that the race was canceled! It would have been nice if they would have posted that information on the website, before we made the 11 mile drive to the race grounds. I felt bad for the Japanese tourists who came (by taxi) to see the mushers race. I was very disappointed; everyone was.

Since we were already dressed for the weather - and I had an itchy "trigger finger" - we decided to take a drive up Chena Hot Springs Rd. We didn't go all the way to the hot springs, but only until the Tors Rocks Campground before heading home again. We didn't see any moose, and it was fairly overcast so the scenery was a bit dreary, but it was nice to get out for a drive.

		"What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter's day?" ~ Henry David Thoreau ~

As we come to the end of another year, I thought I'd choose one photo from each month that best sums up that month. I didn't necessarily choose photos that were top of the line visually, but those which remind me of all that 2007 meant to me.

My Year in Photos (click to enlarge)
	January I am always awed by the wildlife which lives around me. When a moose decided to nap in my yard, it was a real gift! February Nothing warms a winter day like watching the mushers and their dog teams race.
	March The highlight of March was our trip to Homer, AK to see the eagles down on the spit. April April is the month of thawing and puddles. Nothing is so beautiful in April as seeing reflections in the melting snow. Spring is coming!
	May We took another trip to Homer at the end of May. Steve went on his first fishing trip of the year and came home with a King Salmon. June Summer means visitors! My friend Donna came from Yardley, PA to see Alaska with us.
	July The best month of the year by far! My kids came to visit, and we had a wonderful time! I look forward to next time. August We have night skies again! The aurora is a beautiful way to say goodbye to summer.
	September Brisk weather brings an awesome color change to the Alaska tundra. It's fleeting, but brilliant! October The arrival of snow.... again! As always, I feel a thrill to see freshly fallen snow. So does Sedona.
	November With shorter days, come longer and more brilliant sunrises and sunsets. More beautiful than any artist's painting. December Colored lights in Gold Rush Town. Silent walks at night. It's Christmastime in the city.