With an unseasonable temperature of 43° (chilly but nowhere near as cold as a typical December 26th), we couldn't resist lighting the fire bowl on the deck. We huddled close beneath a blanket and watched blue and white stripes fade from the sky as the sun set. Two Carolina Wrens, annoyed at our intrusion, scolded loud; and such big, bold protests from those tiny, bossy birds always make us laugh. We broke off pieces of buttery toffee (made extra brittle by the chilly air) to munch on between sips of a good cabernet, and sweet dreams are made of evenings like this.
