Ahhhh....the cold has come.

Well, the cold has come at last. I have this feeling like we are in for a long, cold winter this year. We have had really mild ones for the past few years, so I guess we are due a cold one. I have surmised this because of how early my dad's pecan trees let go of their precious fruit, the pecans. Also, the squirrels have been out in droves. I am sure it is because they know something that we don't and they are trying to stock up for the winter that will surely ensue.

What does this mean for me? Well, the first thing I would like to mention is that it will not effect me that much. I am a human. I get to live in a house. Although I don't like to run the heat very much, because I like the cold, I will do it occasionally for my lovely wife. I would not want to enter a room only to find her frozen stiff. My car will not need de-icing because I will continue to park it in our garage, small as it may be. That has been one of the greatest things this fall/winter. We have not had to go out and pour water on the car to get the dew or frost off the windows. When we were living in the apartment, we would have to go out, pour water on the cars, and then go about our day. Such a pain.

What else does it mean? Well, it means that some of my favorite times of the year are coming up. I like the summer and playing in the yard, but what I really love are the holidays upcoming. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. I love spending time with family, stuffing our faces together. Christmas is just very nostalgic for me because of all of the great traditions my parents upheld throughout my life.

Speaking of Christmas, we will be building and decorating some gingerbread houses again this year. We have done this for three or four years now, and it has quickly become a favorite activity among the Ulrich's...and their spouses, whatever their last names. Last year, we used "real" gingerbread. Carla made all of the parts (walls, roof), and we had to assemble the houses with icing....the glue. It was kind of a team effort last year, because we only had three full sets of house parts. I would have to say that Rebecca and myself were the clear winners, just as I have been in previous years. This year, we will have to try hard to continue the legacy. There has been rumor of splitting up the creative and dynamic duo of the Bruce A. Ulrich household, but I don't know if the politics will progress. We shall see. All in all, I am sure a grand time will be had by all.

Finally, I am glad for the cold because it means that January is just around the corner. What is the significance of January (sometimes I say, "Janry"), you might ask? Well, other than it being the month of Carla's birth, it is when we will be able to buy a tree to go in our yard. We wanted to get one a while back, but were unable to follow through. We were told January was the best time for it, because the tree is dormant and it is a wet month. That is supposedly the perfect recipe for a healthy tree.

So, welcome, Winter. Come on in.