Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are lovely tonight. They swirl and dance as a dusting of snowflakes make the village appear to be a snow globe.

I might call Rudy (Rudolph) and get out the small sleigh and go out...just he and I for a flight through the lights. His nose glows better if we take a twirl through the Northern Lights now and again.

Arctic Fox

I was sitting at the window of the workshop this morning, sipping on a big mug of hot chocolate after a wonderful breakfast. As I looked out an arctic fox pup was running around with a scrap of Christmas wrapping paper. Now, I don't like litter around the workshop and I started to get up and go out to get it.

Then I stopped, sat down and just watched in wonder. Even a fox pup can enjoy a gift freely given!

Nick

Headcold

I think I caught a cold from one of the youngsters on Christmas Eve. Seth in Sunbright, Tennessee was sniffling as he slept. It might have been him or maybe Mimi in Chantilly, France. She had a fever and almost woke up.

Hot tea, steam baths and reindeer moss plaster on the chest (that is Roscoe's idea. He swears by reindeer moss for every ailment). Mrs C pops her head in to check on me and I saw Dasher looking in through the window. I thought he was out on the high slopes grazing on reindeer moss by now... I'll bet I know who was Roscoe's helper with the reindeer moss plaster.

I thought it smelled like reindeer slobber.

S.

Sleigh Repairs

Roscoe stopped in to tell me he heard from one of the mountain elves that tend to the sleigh. I think the elf is named Cofortenhorgenstebenin. I always get elf names wrong. Why do you think I call Roscoe "Roscoe"?

Anyway, the mountain elf told Roscoe that one of the runners must have been caught on a heavy railing, pipe or chimney as we flew. The whole front, you know, the part that is curled up decoratively, that curled front was out of line. He was amazed I didn't have to send for the tow sleigh by the end of my trip.

I remember a hesitation from the reindeer as I was leaving San Antonio. I think it was an old ranch house made of adobe. Seems to me there was a pipe sticking up that I thought we would clear.

Mrs C warned me not to eat before the ride. A heavy meal before all those cookies and milk!

Next year I'll be sure to watch what I eat before I fly

Stretch

Santa just needed to stretch his legs the morning. These old bones need a walk to get all the kinks out. Some of the chimneys these days are mighty narrow... and tall! Coming down them can surely be work. The reward is always placing the last present carefully under the tree, turning and for a moment listening to the quiet, the silence interrupted occasionally by a snore or soft breathing from little ones who swore they would stay awake to see Santa.

Santa doesn't often sit to eat the cookies and drink the milk left for him, but he does so appreciate it. Walking just now brings chocolate chips to mine, and snickerdoodles, and ginger snaps, and oatmeal....

Dreams

I would that you could dream my dreams.
Dreams of children smiling
Of Christmas the way it should be
The way it is meant to be
Of Yuletide the way it was.
Unselfish, a time of giving
Of sharing, of simple gifts
Given freely, quietly.

Of freshly fallen snow
Deep, cold, quiet
Wrapping itself
Around a sleeping world

Journey's End

Ahhh, There is nothing better after a long trip around the world than a thick robe (red, of course), the biggest mug of hot chocolate to warm the insides and soaking my feet in hot water. As usual, if I fall asleep I'll wake up hours later with a quilt thrown over me.

These old bones are weary right now. That "long winter's nap" sounds mighty nice.

Roscoe, you know Roscoe, don't you? He is my right hand elf. Anyway, Roscoe came in with bonus checks for me to sign. There are a few chores for the elves and I before they can slip away for a well deserved vacation. After the chores we will gather in the workshop, hand out the bonuses and say a few words of thanks to all. I always get a little teary eyed. We all know some of the teen elves are going off to school, maybe settling elsewhere. Mrs C. just smiles indulgently at me as I tell each of the teen elves goodbye. (She keeps an extra hankie handy too!)

After the sleigh is washed and waxed it will go in the barn till summer. The sleigh crew will do a good going over then. The reindeer will get brushed down and fed oats and molasses. They'll sleep a lot in the next week. We'll turn them out to roam till fall when they return ready for practice runs and flight school CEUs. Yep, they need training just like anyone else.

Oh well, too weary to write more.