Basement

We're continuing our tradition of decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. (No Black Friday on this corner of the globe.)

Hmm, I know I put the Christmas tree down here ... but where?

Turkey

We had a ton of people at our place to celebrate Thanksgiving, but for some reason the only pictures we took involved the turkey. And I was equally shocked to see that I was in most of them as I am often the one behind the camera. Mark and I were the carving duo.

Duck

This duck lives opposite us on the first floor; our girls quickly named him Dan the Duck. Dan's owners often let him wander our apartment complex, but Dan never goes far.


After the above picture was taken by the girls, Meg returned home and drew this picture of Dan from memory. Not bad at all.

Excursion #2

The second short trip with our family was to a nearby town/city. It's home to a local Muslim minority group who migrated here some years ago from one of the 'Stan countries. We had a great time exploring a new place!

On the way, there was a section of road that cut and weaved its way through the mountains. The scenery was a complete surprise and thoroughly enjoyed. With the camera pointed out the window, a couple hundred photos were snapped. Below are a handful.







Next to the hotel we stayed at was an elementary school. When we arrived, some kids were piling into a small bus to head home. I went over to chat and take some pictures. Very cute.



Skipping rocks in the river near our hotel.




This garden and spring was quiet and pretty. It was located next to a mosque - which is reflected in one of the pictures. The garden would be an excellent place to spend a couple hours with a good book.







But outside this garden was a bit more interesting to me. We wandered the local streets - a labyrinth of narrow roads - and channels of water lined the small streets. We peered into the homes if their door was cracked. Behind large, elaborate doors, most homes had a central courtyard garden surrounded by smaller rooms - really neat to see. We had fun slowly strolling along smiling and waving to the locals. One older man taught me how to say 'hello' in their language so I took any opportunity to practice. And we made a young friend along the way. (He deserves two pictures.)




We sampled some of the local favorite dishes. This was a neat environment but definitely BYOT - bring your own tablecloth.


Meat prep


Sometimes it can be a bit tough to get off. The girls did prevail though. Val and Meg had the best expressions so they're featured on this post.



Remains of the meat and spicy bread - all so good.


Pasta prep



'Ding ding' noodles are ready! Very tasty. All five of us devoured every single 'ding.'


We ventured a bit out of town and did some exploring along the river ... and through A LOT of rocks into it.


Well, okay ... maybe not THAT many.

Excursion #1

This month, we planned two outings for our family. The first was a weekend to a mountain "lodge." As we've been there over the years, it's been fun to get to know the owners and watch their kids grow. Taking in the fresh air and the fall colors was wonderful. We had a great time!

On the way.


Hanging out in the front courtyard area.



Hiking!

Sweet Accessory

On the way to pick up dinner, Lia and I spotted this beauty. Check out those eyelashes!


You can't see them in the picture, but inside were two young women waving at us with big grins.

Ice Cream, Lieutenant Dan, Ice Cream!

Our city has its first - and only - ice cream shop!


Some favorite flavors ...



In the back, the girls watch some ice cream prep.