It's beginning to look a lot like...well, you know...

 Christmas!

 Our (modified) Charlie Brown Tree

 Our First Christmas Together, 1989

 Shirley Sheep in the spirit. Mavis the Penguin being, well, a pillow

 Our pups have their stockings...and our polar bear is towing penguins

 A rather odd sheep comes to investigate the creche

 An angel, a sheep, and a Santa shaped like Kentucky on the pottery shelf

 Our same old door banner...it expresses our hope for y'all!

 Our new Moravian Star...lighting the darkness on our street

 Our old wreath...with some new lights and a weathered cardinal

 Our old flag...it makes us smile

 Colonial boy playing hoop, from Mount Vernon

 A couple of my Grandmother Rhyne's ornaments...about as old as me!

 More old ornaments, with a few newer ones that match.

 They are so fragile, but still lovely

 And of course a few woolly sheep!

 Ta da!

 We did add a few new balls this year

 We're in winter mode up here...can you tell?

 Snow Snow Snow! (decoration across the street)

 "In the bleak midwinter..." (also across the street)

 "Lovely weather for a sleigh ride together..." (also across the street)

 We got nearly 6 inches, all told...the cement pond tells the tale

 The fire pit is likely closed for the season, too

Still, we do enjoy the snow, and it is so pretty!

 Old post out back

 Snow landscape on the A/C

 Frosted shrubbery everywhere!

 Our cairn...the work crew is in full snow removal mode

We enjoy the scenery around us

 And we take care of our birds...Mama Cardinal out back

 Snow bird! Dark-Eyed Junco

 A Song Sparrow!

 And two turtle doves *love*

 Christmas is upon us here in Ohio

As usual, it is a mix of sincere and silly! (across the street)

In Need of a Renaissance.

The lads and I thought we might sail up the Scioto 

and crash the social event of the season! 

Seems the Lady of Willow Manor is giving a Ball!

  What ho! A Ball, you say?

 Yo ho! There be pirates there!
And lasses with flowers in their hair!

I sought to woo this buxom pirate lass

 Alack, distracted by her ample...
knowledge of swordplay,

I ran aground somewhere near Caesar's Creek.

 Where we were set upon by knights!

 Happily this one was armed only with a red rose...

 After a bit of jousting

 Officiated by a viking man from Canada

 And featuring a manly clash of, er, long pointy things

We were triumphant!

 In a manner of speaking...while they fought among themselves 

over who would get to skewer us...

We ran away (under the cover of bagpipes, of course)!

I made some effort to persuade yon fetching brunette
to accompany me to the festivities...

She was unpersuaded

Though I managed to coax her out of her armour!

 So I left me merry men to fend for themselves

And, leaving behind my flamboyant French threads,
I donned the garb of a common rogue
and set off on foot...

After a bit of mead for reinforcement

 

I reckon I shall be going stag to the Willow Manor Ball ;-)

Happily, the Moon is lighting my path

Mayhap I shall find a small boat

And make haste forthwith to yon festivities!