Backyard Red-Tail.

"She'll be home tomorrow,"

I told Zeus.



"I'm sure, when she returns, she'll give you a little peanut butter for bringing her your raccoon."

"This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine..."

sang a lovely little girl named Elaina as she and her family shared the fire Zeus and I built out on Picnic Point. What a gift her song was!

Beautiful sunny weather here in Madison, Wisconsin. We must have greeted — and were greeted by — more than 60 people out for Christmas Day hikes as we tended the fire all afternoon. Here's a short video as the fire ebbed and the sun went down:

 

 Zeus made many new friends.



 "...let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

"Once again as in olden days..."

                                        

Happy golden days of yore 
Faithful friends who are dear to us 
Will be near to us once more 

Someday soon, we all will be together 
If the fates allow 
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow 

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now"

Eli.

More Eli here.

Josie.

More Josie here and here.

Abby enabled. (UPDATED)

Best guard dog ever.

(More Abby here.)

UPDATE: Here she is almost 2 years ago:
 
(photo by Ann Althouse)

Maddie ran up.

Here she is last September.

Lucy.

Zeus has it.

Josie gets it.



Zeus takes it back.

(Josie last summer).

Watchpoodles...

Curly and Rocky. They keep an eye (or 4) on Zeus.

6 months ago in warmer weather.

Nehi to a Saint Bernard.

Hogan is a 5 and 1/2 year-old Nehi. One parent is a St. Bernard, the other is a Brittany.

Here is Hogan's first meeting with Charley, the cattle dog, Juniper, the Golden, and Axle, the Lab.

Simon and Quincy say hi.

Last year, Quincy was still a pup and Simon was fitting 2 tennis balls in his mouth.

Molly and Huck, Border Collies.

Zoom fail.

That's better. Bowie and Cooper.

Cooper zoom. More Bowie here.