Chirstmas Time - California-style

First things first.  A greeting for our family and friends:

We had fun decorating our new home for the first time.  Here are some examples.

A homemade huckleberry cuttings wreath for the front door

Carrying the them into the stairwell - ribbon and douglas fir

Really small tree on the entry level floor

Picture window on the entry level floor in Erick's work space

Our little douglas fir on the main floor - phase 1, lights on

The tree fully decorated

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Really big tree in Jack London Square (can't take credit for this one)

Lights strung in the breakfast nook

Night-time - hope the coyotes appreciate the view

Daytime close up

Night-time close up of the ornament

Another crystal ornament - dining room window

A favorite holiday plate

Formerly empty display area on the way to the 3rd floor.
There will eventually be shelves here - when we get around to it.

And the stockings were hung...

Animal visitors:

Columbian black-tailed deer in the driveway - one of a trio of regulars

Parker, a neighborhood cat who frequently visits Ziggy & Sunny

A triangulation of cats
Ziggy, Sunny, and guest

Transition from fall to winter:

A rainy, chilly December - at least the spiders are using the deck furniture

Pre-solstice sunset on the bay side...

...reflected on the canyon side

Winter is here now, and this is what it looks like in the East Bay hills:

View toward Mt Diablo, first day of winter

Even the south facing slopes are getting greener

Color on the bay side provided by sweetgum trees

Close up of a sweetgum - black spots are seed pods

Sunset first day of winter: canyon view left; reflection of bay sunset right

Closer look at the reflection

Actual bay side veiw of sunset

Twilight - Mt Diablo and hills

Do we miss the snow?  Kinda.  But if we really want to see it, the Sierras aren't that far away.