It’s just before 8:00, over 2 hours until sunrise, but there’s just the teeniest bit of light in the sky from the almost-full moon that’s partly hidden by clouds. There isn’t a sound here – it’s as peaceful as it is beautiful.

It doesn’t really feel like Christmas Day for us – I suppose that with a million things still to do after our move 3 weeks ago, Christmas has just never made the priority list. We didn’t buy any gifts this year, even for each other.

Luckily the previous owners of the property left a few lights on the house, so I was able to just go to the barn for the ladder to hook up an extension cord to them a few minutes ago. We’re off to a neighbour’s house at 11, though, and then my son and his partner are coming for dinner, so we’ll get into it before the day is out, I’m sure.

To my family, who are mostly in Kelowna today, to Cathy’s family in Ontario, and to all of our friends around the world, we send best wishes for a wonderful holiday.