It started with putting up the Christmas tree. Milo “helped.”
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/01-Milo-helps.jpg)
This led to the second phase of putting up the tree, which I call “Milo! No!”
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/02-Milo-no.jpg)
Fortunately the cats seem to have learned from prior Christmas/spray bottle encounters. They didn’t try to climb the tree at all this year. However I discovered that all of our tree lights had gone dead, so I had to go on a fetch quest for new lights. I succeeded.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/03-Tree.jpg)
After all that work, Kikaa reminded me to sit down and take a rest.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/04-Kitty-nap.jpg)
But Milo lurked. He seems to regard me as a very complex food puzzle, something to manipulate with cuteness until I get up and give him treats.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/05-Milo-lurk.jpg)
I also had one of my kids help me take a reference photo. I’ve started a yoga practice. Right now I can’t reach that foot with my hand, but someday I will.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/06-Yoga-practice.jpg)
I put our first ornament on the tree. For us 2021 was a much better year than 2020.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/07-Ornament-970x1024.jpg)
I finally dragged myself outside to go rake up the leaves that were threatening to kill off the lawn. I made a massive pile on a weed patch so that they can kill off the weeds instead.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/09-Leaf-pile.jpg)
Tired from raking, I sat down at our little bistro table. I’d only been there a couple of minutes when our Scrub Jay friends showed up and made clear that I should go fetch some peanuts. Which I did.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/08-Peanut.jpg)
We’ve named the jays Screm and Lurk. They’re the same pair which nested in our pine tree last May. For a final picture, I leave you with this hand-painted wooden egg I bought in St. Petersburg on my day trip as part of a Baltic cruise. My one regret is that I didn’t buy a dozen more of them. So Beautiful.
![](https://www.onecobble.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/10-egg-ornament.jpg)