December Days

I was away this week, and came back to a cold, windy day today, but with beautiful clear light. Gus the horse is growing a longer coat for the cold to come, and is looking a bit shaggy.



One of the goats has developed a beautiful soft fur-like winter coat that makes her feel like a sheep, and the other goat hasn't changed at all. They're the same breed, so it's a little puzzling.

Even the evenings get great light now...



Before we moved here, I had never realized that mistletoe really does grow on trees, and I had certainly never seen it. It's the ball of leaves near the top of the tree below.



Apparently it's believed to be a parasite that will kill a tree, and some people shoot it out of trees with shotguns to save their trees. Supposedly it won't kill a tree, but I kind of like the idea of it being dangerous enough to warrant being 'killed' with a gun. (Hmmm, maybe I've been living in South Carolina too long? You'll know that when you see a gun rack in my little Ford Focus...)