A bleak December is in front of us.

A few days ago even our officials in Washington DC came to the conclusion that the good, old U.S. is in a recession. We all followed with the greatest interest how the really "big" car makers came to Washington DC in their private jet airplanes @ $25,000 per person to ask the American Taxpayer for financial help. The Christmas shopping that usually kicks off a splurging without end due to the so called Christmas Spirit that every year is enforced by the merchants via Jingle Bells och Silent Night music, has not matured as expected. People simply can not afford to give since they have little or nothing to give from.
We just had our first cold spell for the year. The temperature fell to +8 and the cold Northern wind blew without interference its icy rain all the way from Kannada down here to Texas and me. I was amazed to se that my roses did not seem to complain, they stood grand and beautiful in front of my house one lavender colored and the other crimson red.
Jerry has started his winter chores. Every night he puts out birdseed for our feathered friends to have breakfast the next morning. All the leaves has fallen from my Cottonwood tree and my Bradford Pear tree is showing me its branches again. It is only my sturdy big oak tree that still has his dark green coat on but I guess that by Christmas even he would give up and shed his summer cover.
One thing that I have learned this last year is another impressive personality trait of my fellow Texans. When times get tough, they don't complain, they only get tougher, and that is something that I wish my Swedish brothers and sisters would have more of.
Merry Chirstmas to all and to 2008 I am saying goodbye.