Best Wishes

although we're not all in the photo - we did set a time and date, but not everybody was able to make it here - we do all of us wish you a Happy New Year, may 2015 bring you the very best of everything you wish/need/hope for

(....and in the unlikely event, things do not go according to plan, make the best of what does happen to come your way....)

black shadows on white

yesterday Django experienced snow for the first time in his life, his response to the white fluffy stuff was to race around in circles and then taste it (Tungsten used to do the latter as well)
Skies were grey with all the snow, which continued to fall overnight.....

.....so this morning we woke up to an even whiter, brighter world, including blue skies and shining sun; it was as if nature was calling out to us: get up, rise out of bed and go for a walk - here are Django and the husband in the 'uiterwaarden' along the river Linge, just on the other side of our dike

the afternoon after the night before...........

 cock-a-doodle-dooooo, wakey wakey rise and shine.........time to get up everybody!
nope, don't think these two are going to get much response today. I wonder where everyone is though, nobody seems to be in their own bed (the OldBirdKing being the notable exception) 

Polly and small hare sharing a bed in the top floor bedroom, looks like they are still fast asleep

....as is the choir, huddled up together in BirdBoy's nest; at least pigeon took care of them before he went gallivanting into the wee hours; now where could he be?

ah, here he is sharing a dish with his new found lover 

Malle ever the romantic opted for a bed under the stars, to do a bit of gazing I assume, wonder what she saw.....

as stated the only one in his own bed with old Faithful asleep at his feet, oh and Saumon Rose in the corner, so nice of him to drop by for Christmas

how on earth did the tiny three-some manage to carry down this cot? anyway room for the three of them, just about. Who's that hiding beneath her wing, OMG it's mother goose nursing a hang-over by the looks of it! Who would have guessed ?
'oh, somebody please turn off the lights' she mutters,
'that's day light' I respond,
'aghhh' she wails 'too soon, way too soon....'

best to leave them alone I think

having not indulged in alcoholic beverages the moths, butterflies and grass hopper look no worse for wear, besides the crumpled Christmas decoration and withered flowers they'll have their corner sorted in no time

ssshhhh, chef and sous-chef fast asleep under the Table, snoring to their hearts' content, which explains the faint rumble I detected on entering the studio 

poor otter curled up in a corner, I think I heard him moan...
'please, could....some..one stop!...the music, please...?'

it would be too unkind of me to point out there is actually no longer any music to be heard

ah, so that's where BirdBoy is: asleep in the new-comers' tree-home 

these two ended up IN the drinking bowl, now empty of course!

and who exactly might we find fast asleep upon the Table, Frog! knocked unconscious after copious amounts of booze and food plus hop-leap-frog-dancing to boot

all burned up, I doubt this Santa candle will see another year.....

p.s. the critters in this photo are still unaccounted for (thanks to the photographer we have a clear picture of what they all look like) I'm not saying they're missing, it's just no body seems to remember when they were last seen and I certainly haven't been able to locate them just yet; I am so sorry Julie and I must apologize on behalf of the Gang for having kind of lost them, however I am confident we will see their safe return, sooner or later.

If any body Out There happens to have any information on their whereabouts, please feel free to contact us via the comments box

I do not want to end this post on a sad note and therefore raise my cup of tea in a jolly salute to you all dear readers, once again we wish you a continued merry Christmas and may the peace of the force be with you!


p.p.s.
a thought occurred to me just now, having seen my year according to google and been mulling over the fact that there are hardly any images of other people there, just me, the dog, a couple of musicians and the Gang, leading me to the conclusion that I am somewhat of an anti-social creature who seems to prefer her own company: if I can't be the person I aspire to be (a more social/caring/gregarious person) maybe I should settle for who I am in humble acceptance melded with a sense of gratitude. 

- to make things absolutely clear: I'm not asking any one to say differently - the most I hope for is to make you smile once in a while, which is my way of saying thank you and making life on earth a bit more bearable, in the only way I know how

not so silent night

 a Christmas candle-lit dinner, everybody who's anybody in their being-world is there, somewhere; some are at the table, others are even on it; there are those who prefer to remain in their tree-home and several butterflies, moths and the grasshopper elected to keep apart so as not to be mistaken for food.....the most moveable critters are indeed moving about, keeping all entertained

the dino brothers are up to their acrobatic tricks

jaws dropped once the Mexican owl flamethrower started throwing flames.....

then they all fell silent for the sweet high notes of our American choir, and just when everybody was all choked up and dabbing at their eyes.....

there came yet another surprise: the one-eyed dare devil driving his dangerously rickety contraption (he lost his other eye driving the same vehicle last year!)

followed by bellows of laughter as the payaso* arrived in his avocado 

chef and his assistant supervised the comings and goings of the many courses, such as there were: peanut stuffed with maggots, raw beetle, blue berry & lime seed dessert, celery salad, tomato salad, mixed seeds, dolmadakia, sweet chestnuts, pollen and so on

whilst fat rat is happily chewing left overs in the kitchen

the turkeys stay aloof, just to be on the safe side as they're not convinced turkey's not on the menu at Christmas 

winged insects enjoying their flowery treat

wishing you all a Merry X-mas from the gang in the Birdhut, where things have moved on a bit from the niceties of a refined dinner, as some are dancing on the table by now to music that in my book has nothing to do with Christmas and/or quiet nights, alas no pics.....some things are best left to the imagination; to help you shuffle along a video from LMFAO Party Rock Anthem

* clown

getting ready for the x-mas party

the ladies have a winter outfit! just in time for the Christmas celebrations over in the studio. Luckily for them I came down with a stomach bug and have to stay indoors while I nurture my aching body; I have been dividing my time between sewing, knitting, sleeping and frequent visits to the bathroom.....

Emily has opted for a wrap-around skirt, to be worn both sides with a matching jacket and hat, all lined and snug, she is also wearing a lace necklace - 'there has to be lace Saskia', she said to me - and so there is. Malle is partial to woolen clothing, and she requested a skirt/dress to wear with her vest - 'remember I do have a tail', she whispered! hence the hole at the back

I do wonder if more beings will now want something special to wear.......I could keep these two ladies in the house so no one will see them and get ideas....then again, perhaps that is not quite what is called for in this season of giving.

book lovers silly season decoration

in accordance with the silly season instead of an actual christmas-tree I opted for a staggering mound of books attempting to resemble something like a tree*; to be fair I did try to buy one, I was never more determined to do so and visited three tree-selling-points, however I was so disappointed in quality and/or price, I gave up 

* if trees are triangular, straight edged and have titles on their backs that is

such a simple and excellent Sunday

 had minor problems at capturing two moving black dogs Django and Felix in one image; I'm amazed at how well adapted they are to the cold, compared to what I have to put on to stay warm!

 I endeth today's post with a selfie smiling at a Sunday well spent: got up late, i.e. 9 o'clock and enjoyed a relaxed breakfast reading news papers, other blogs, the comments on the last post over here, followed by a great walk-in-the-woods with friend D. and her dog Felix; cleaned out several gutters: leaves were frozen into place after last night's frost; went into town in the afternoon where I watched a short play in favourite book shop de Mandarijn with friends M. and S., the play was fun and I felt cultural and part of society once more; afterwards we went for a cup of tea and chocolate at N. and J's house.....

I only just noticed many bottles* behind me in the first pic, which could imply that is the reason I'm smiling, however I am sticking to my favourite beverage: tea, as evidenced by last two pics of the day

* I have dubbed it 'the vitamin-cupboard' with all the upheaval of moving furniture in/out/about our tiny house, this cupboard now contains shelves for fruit and veggies, books on gardening, cook books and several small volumes of poetry and our supply of bottles containing alcohol