CHRIST-MAS 12/25/2020, FRIDAY

Introduction

I see a white canvas, on a white Christmas. I will darken this canvas. The canvas outside remains white, as evening brings on the night.

The origin of the term Christmas relates to Christ's Mass. The divine, eternal plan of salvation was realized, when the eternal Word became flesh, born of a virgin, to live His perfect life, to be crucified and die, to be resurrected from the dead, and to ascend to Heaven. We, who are ready, await the return of our Lord and Savior, when He comes to take us Home. We may go Home, before He returns.

The secular and temporal trappings of Christmas are minor, in the context of eternity. The snow looks clean and pretty. We are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

Christmas Eve Rain to Snow

Yesterday, the weather, until about 3:45 PM, wasn't very pleasant. It was rain, rain, go away. The snow took over. The ground became white quickly. We were enjoying Christmas Eve snow, which began, in the late afternoon. The snow continued today.

The last photograph record that I have, of snow on Christmas day, was in 2010. The snow could have started on that Christmas Eve. Searching this website finds the article and photographs, about my snowy 75th hike, on House Mountain. The 12/26/2010 article includes fifteen snow photographs, which I'd taken, during the hike, earlier that day.

In 2019, Christmas Eve was different. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I visited my youngest brother and his family. It was a warm, springlike day. We had fun at a nearby park. They played basketball. (My “bionic” right foot didn't want to join them.) Instead, I “hiked a ridge,” in a T-shirt, as the following photograph shows.

 

Christmas Eve, 2019, was “evidence” of “global climate change,” as the propagandists try to force on any, who are gullible enough to believe them.

So, what does Christmas Eve, 2020, prove? The climate does change. It has been doing so, for thousands of years. (I affirm and can prove the creationist view, of a young earth.) There is more proof of Father Frost (the Russian term for the guy, who brings presents on Christmas) than of so-called man-made climate change!

Yes, I know. I could not help but toss in a political point, against the propagandists, who won't go away.

Christmas Snow

The climate change propagandists could not “snow” us, on this Christmas. We have snow! This morning, about 7:30 AM, I measured, in two locations, in the front yard. Both measured six inches of snow. This was not a little two or three inch snow. This is a good snow!

The sun came and went, as the clouds varied, through the day. About 3:45 PM, the clouds took over, and more snow started falling! (Snow had been falling, at times, all day long.) At 4:52 PM, the typing of this sentence, it is snowing, about like it did this time yesterday!

From about 9 AM to 10 AM, this morning, I took the four photographs, below, using our Kodak camera (not my Samsung cell phone camera).

The above is from our back deck, looking southwest.

The above is from the edge of the driveway, looking southeast. Can you see Molly's paw prints, which are different than mine? Molly had some fun in the snow too! Our '08 Honda Civic and '06 Nissan Frontier are both in “the barn” (i.e., garage). Yes, our garage isn't cluttered with junk. Vehicles are in the garage, where they are supposed to be.

The above is looking southeast, from the deck.

The final photograph, above, is looking more south than southwest, from the deck.

I hope that we don't have to wait ten years, to have another snow on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Santa Claus gets tired of landing his reindeer sleigh, on dry or rainy roofs. Snow makes a smoother and quieter landing. I know. He told me, once I was old enough. I still believe. Santa Claus is real. He exists. I know him. He sends me an e-mail every now and then.

Conclusion

This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have been better than 1982 (Papaw Wood), 1999 (Mom), 2000 (Mom), 2002 (Dad), and 2007 (Dad). This year has not been as much fun, as many previous years were (in childhood, as a young adult, and so forth). The rain to snow and the “Mask Mafia” hindered or quarantined the usual family gatherings. On balance, however, the good memories outweigh the bad ones. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman did talk, with the “Mask Mafia,” a few times today. (There were no online conferences!) Recently or today, I've talked, by phone, with my three brothers, my “adopted sister,” in Missouri, and one niece. (Are you reading this, Shanna?) We all, well enough, are "Livin' la Vida 'Rona" (with apology to Ricky Martin, 1999).

I thought about driving to and hiking House Mountain today. I was wise. My new ol' truck and I could negotiate most of the roads. Hogskin Road, however, was probably too treacherous. Also, with six or even more inches of snow, on the mountain, I could have stepped wrong and injured myself or, at least, my pride. In 174 hikes, so far, I have fallen only one time, back in my “pre-bionic” days. I know the switchback well. I was alone, on my way down, in the snow. My right foot planted on a rock that I though was covered only with snow. I had taken a careful step. Ice was under the snow. I slipped. My backside landed first, before the back of my head hit the rock behind me. I injured my pride only. If my head had hit first, well, I'd have gone Home. Others would have either come to get my carcass or left it there, for the buzzards!

What is "Livin' la Vida 'Rona," you ask? Well, I overcome my Corona Myopia Psychosis, by enjoying my sarcastic humor! (We all have Corona Myopia Psychosis. Denial is a symptom.) I'm just trying to live the wild, new cold virus life, y'all! The propaganda machine is set, to keep running, like a runny nose, for at least another year. I predict that, in 2022, this new cold virus will be in our rear view mirrors – as it is in mine, as much as I can get rid of it, in my mind.

Well, at 5:44 PM, the time of the typing of this sentence, I think that I'll publish this article, sixteen minutes before supper. I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas, even if a tragic event is happening or has happened recently. I know. I have known tragedy and loss, around several Christmas seasons. In time, if we have accepted the gift of Christ, then we will be together, at Home, with Jesus and many loved ones, who are, even now, filled with everlasting Christmas joy.