Who Murdered The Snowman?

Something I've always wanted to do

I walk into my daughter's house and tell her I want to kill my granddaughters' snowman. She readily agrees and my son-in-law walks out with a butcher knife-no questions asked. And my other daughter takes pictures for me. Do I have a cool family or what?

A side note - as I was constructing the 'scene', a neighbor appeared in the adjacent yard. He sure got an eyeful!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take care of that witness...

Big Foot Lives

I gotta stop walking down the street

For comparison purposes, my footprint is the circular blob in the top center of the picture

(and I wear a size 7)

So apparently Big Foot is real!

Walking down the street the other day, and what do I see?

'Six Geese A-Laying'

They must be geographically challenged!

Merry Christmas to all...

and to all a good night!

It's cold here in Chicago. Instead of visions of sugarplums, I'm envisioning the trip we took in (hot) July!

Grand Canyon

Monument Valley

Bryce Canyon

Such gorgeous scenery. I don't know why I waited so long to visit.

To continue the holiday mood, here's a repost for all you Dr. Who/Tom Baker fans!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE DOOMSDAY

Twas the night before Doomsday, but all through outer space,

Not an enemy was visible, nothing seemed out of place.

The weapons were stored in the Tardis with care,

In hopes the White Guardian soon would be there.

My companions were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of jelly babies danced in their heads.

And Romana in her trench coat and I in my vest,

Knew that the Sontarans would soon make us stressed.

When out in the cosmos, there arose such a clatter,

I grabbed the sonic screwdriver to investigate the matter.

Away to the Earth, I materialized in a flash,

Levered open the door and prepared to be brash.

The moon was a crescent, hung low in the sky,

As our Intel claimed Sutekh soon would be by.

When what to my bulging, brown eyes should appear,

But a terrified Tegan, atremble with fear.

Next a convoy of trucks, clearly from UNIT,

Led by my friend, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.

Then the Daleks and Cybermen formed into groups,

So I whistled and shouted and yelled for my troops.

Now Nyssa! Now Leela! Now Sarah Jane Smith!

Come Adric! Come Harry! (Tegan was miffed.)

To the battleground forming, we must hatch a plan,

We need Benton and Yates and every last man.

As the Robot and Krynoid joined in with the Zygons,

The Time Lords chimed in “let bygones be bygones”

So into the mix we put up a good fight,

With temporal traps, gold dust and just plain old might.

As I gathered my forces with a big toothy smile,

K9 passed us by, to help out for a while.

And then into the fray, the Master appeared,

That consummate bad guy, the one that’s most feared.

The Master is here, my companions all cried!

Now head for the control room to stay safe inside.

We must think of a way and finally defeat him,

Or the galaxy faces a future most grim.

The Master harrumphed, as wily as a fox,

And gathered his minions around the police box.

His eyes – how they twinkled, his open mouth droll,

And the beard of his chin was as jet black as coal.

I reached in my pocket for something to do,

Pulled out a yoyo and racked my brain for a clue.

My scarf was in knots, my stomach it roiled,

We will find a way, the Master must be foiled.

Think quickly, Doctor! all my cohorts exclaim.

There must be a way to remove him from the game.

Just how to eliminate him is subjective,

To divide and conquer is our main objective.

Now the Master calls out, he wishes a truce,

It’s good news to hear, since K9’s out of juice.

I open the door and allow him inside,

Then set the controls to embark on a ride.

From deep within, the death knell reverberates,

The meaning is clear, a Time Lord regenerates.

Right at this moment, there’s no time to stand by,

But for whom the bell tolls, the Master or I?

Just to get in the mood for the holidays, here's a repost of my Who Murdered...? series poem:

HAZEL CARTBELL’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,

The killer was creeping, as quiet as a mouse.

With a gun in his hand and his eyes on the prize,

Who he was after, I could only surmise.

The killer moved quickly, he searched for his goal,

The house was as dark as Victor Kendall’s black soul.

I inched my way slowly, to keep him in sight,

But he stayed in the shadows, as dark as the night.

I grew cold and tired, my brain started to roam,

And I thought of the townsfolk, all warm in their home.

I pictured Mama Bella in her restaurant,

Waiting on her customers to see what they want.

And then in a twinkling, my thoughts started to drift,

To my brother, Sebastian, who always seemed miffed.

Two years my junior, he still acted like a child,

I try not to judge him, without getting riled.

Or the chief’s son, Robbie, a student in college,

He’s studying hard to expand his knowledge.

He’s got a crush on our pretty dispatcher,

Robbie won’t give up hope, thinking he’ll catch her.

Sister Marie Catherine, the old-school nun,

So strict and somber, does she ever have fun?

As I visualized Sister, praying in church,

There came a loud noise and my heart gave a lurch.

There out on the street, a car rolled to a stop,

And Donovan emerged, our new rookie cop.

With a huff and a puff, he raced up beside me.

Did the recruit think I would need him to guide me?

The heavens released a fresh dusting of snow,

The rookie grew restless, but we had to keep low.

I kept my eyes peeled and let my grip loosen,

A wonderful sight, here comes Chief Rasmussen.

My heart filled with joy as I watched him draw near,

Would the chief never notice me, was my worst fear.

He strode to the door and called in a firm voice,

Come out with your hands up, you don’t have a choice.

I watched him with pride, this man was my hero,

Just like Poirot and that Wolfe they call Nero.

As the bad guy obeyed and marched onto the porch,

I knew as long as I lived, I would carry this torch!