And here is your Weather Report: Storms and electrical outages followed by the blessed return of power and seasonally appropriate snow. Excellent treats at Cora Stoppert’s house on Christmas Day – breakfast at Chris and Sonny’s later that week – lots of good books to read evening after evening – three feral kittens to feed in the barn up on the second ridge – a fine New Year’s Eve party down at Stone Circle (inside, by the fire in Terry and Wendi’s new woodstove) – and a lucky New Year’s Day supper out on the Flat Road at Verdant Ground with stories. It is possible that someone, somewhere, has had a better time than we have had, but we don’t know of it. Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I are content, and hope that you, too, are having a good start.
Tomorrow I will have more time at the Library and will play catchup, posting Babs Young’s photos and generally getting into mischief. Keep warm, have fun, and do a little good too.
Torch Lake Views 
Martha
January 2, 2013
Good to read the news. You have been spending time well.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
I have – now if I can only figure out how to arrange a blogging schedule I can catch up with everyone.
uphilldowndale
January 2, 2013
Hi Gerry, happy New Year. Delighted to hear all is well with you and yours
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Happy New Year to you, too, Mrs. Uhdd. We look forward to walking along with you up hill and down dale in 2013.
Cheri Sell
January 2, 2013
Happy New Year! I am glad you are off to a good start.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Happy New Year Cheri! May it be a good year all the way around.
Sybil
January 2, 2013
Happy New Year to you and the pack !
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Thank you Sybil – I can just about imagine hitching the pack to a dogsled and meeting you halfway. Lessee . . . that would put us somewhere in Quebec, non?
Joss
January 2, 2013
Thank you for that. I feel comfy and relaxed and I too have a plentiful supply of good books. Just as well because my car is going to be off the road for at least a week. I hope yours is now back with you and has recovered from the moose. I am trying to do a little good, and only this afternoon told myself, with some satisfaction, that this corner of the world was now a better place than before I came along. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what I had just done for the world, so I guess it must have merely been picking up someone else’s dog poop!
Gerry
January 3, 2013
A week without a car is a challenge, but I am sure you will rise to it. There is no “merely” about scooping someone else’s dog poop. That is a noble contribution to community welfare.
P.j. grath
January 2, 2013
So glad to hear your new year is off to a good start. Mine could have begun better physically, but two days of R&R have done wonders for my spirit, and maybe better spirits will help cure the wonky back. Love from Sarah to that sweet Miss Sadie and that mischievous Cowboy! Best wishes from me to you for a happy, productive 2013!
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Wuff! A wonky back is a maddening way to begin the year, especially for a person who has dogwalking and bookshelving on her daily agenda. Very best wishes for speedy and complete recovery.
Giiid
January 2, 2013
I am very glad to read that your absence from blogging was caused by bustle with joining several festive gatherings, including the ones with your books. Once again you convince me that Torch Lake is the most cozy place one can think of. At least the places you describe. Sitting by the fire…who would think of computers and blogging. Never the less, I´m glad you are back. I wish you a Happy New Year and everything good for the coming year.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Thank you Birgitte – I will try to appear more often in my favorite haunts.
Dawn
January 3, 2013
Sounds absolutely lovely…all of it. Here’s to us all doing a little good in 2013!
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Since I absolutely despair of seeing real progress toward the solution of large problems, I have decided to rely on All of Us doing a little good here and there. It can’t hurt.
flandrumhill
January 3, 2013
All the best to you and your furry friends in the new year Gerry. It’s a little too cold for my liking at present. Our ‘milder than usual’ winter is giving us a cold shoulder. I can think of nothing more finger and heart warming than cuddling one of those feral kittens right now.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Thank you Amy – you would love the feral kitties. I am resolute in my determination that they are not coming to live with me, but I cannot resist helping them to make a life in the big barn. They are pretty resourceful kitties. I wish you and them warm refuges from whatever winter chooses to deliver.
shoreacres
January 3, 2013
Well, lookie here! Happy New Year! I’d been telling myself every sort of story about where you’d gone – and I was mightily creative, I want you to know. Time-traveling back to the days of your Civil War veterans was maybe the best. Electrical outages because of storms never occurred to me. I’m such a southerner.
Glad to see you, and looking forward to another year of wonderful photos and words. Give Babs a Happy New Year for me, too. I do enjoy her photos so much.
We are all well here, although prayers for dark, gloom, fog and steady rain are much in favor. Context is everything, it appears.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Blessed moisture is much in demand across the continent. May all of us get what we need . . . and not more than that. Mama Nature has been in a mood lately and I really wish she’d calm down for a little minute. No more of this “Fine, you don’t think there’s enough water in the Bay? How do you like THIS???” and whoosh, the bluff collapses into the surf.
tootlepedal
January 3, 2013
Happy New Year. I trust the Torch Lake Tourist Board have paid you a sufficiently large honorarium to reward you for making it look such a wonderful place to visit or to live.
With regard to the world’s larger problems, don’t give up on them entirely.
Gerry
January 3, 2013
So nice to see you – I wish I could offer you scones but the Library frowns on patrons plugging in hot plates on the porch. As for Torch Lake, ah well, I am a prophet without honor in my homeland – and even in my own household, where Miss Sadie and the Cowboy think I waste entirely too much time scribbling. I’ll keep working on the little thread-end of the world’s problems that seems to be here at hand, and will try not to think too much about what might be connected to the other end.
WOL
January 3, 2013
The Canada geese (they overwinter here) raised quite a brouhaha over all the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. The fireworks sounded like a war zone and geese by the thousands were flying about and honking. Pretty amazing. [See WOL’s New Year post at The Owl Underground! – Gerry]
Gerry
January 3, 2013
Thank you for the link – and Happy New Year! May the rest of it be very peaceful . . .
Scott Thomas Photography
January 4, 2013
Sounds like a perfect holiday season for you and your much loved pets, Gerry. Good to see you about.
Gerry
January 4, 2013
Thank you Scott – It’s so nice to have people dropping by!
Fee
January 4, 2013
Happy New Year, Gerry, and hugs for your adorable canines. Our year started with a humungous bang, courtesy of the Edinburgh street party, a sick relative is making a good recovery and it’s almost time for the youngest to go back to school. Reasons to be cheerful!
Gerry
January 8, 2013
Fee! Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I are so pleased to see you. Hugs (and quantities of tail wags) to you, too, and may 2013 give all of us many reasons for good cheer.
Karma
January 5, 2013
Nice to see you back here Gerry! Missed you while you were gone. Sorry to here about the issues with the ISP. Very good to know all is well and that you had a fine holiday season.
Gerry
January 8, 2013
Thank you, ma’am. It’s good to be here.
torchlakedays
January 18, 2013
Hope 2013 is the year we move there. Viola’s graduating… and we are downsizing. Now to just find work….
Gerry
January 18, 2013
This is extremely good news. Finding satisfactory work is always the challenge Around Here, but you bring excellent skills and experience to the task. I am brimming with confidence.
isathreadsoflife
February 1, 2013
Wonderful and cosy mood for the Holiday Season, a lovely picture ! I feel so glad you had a great time with all your loved ones. Many good wishes to all. Ninio includes his too for his pals at the Lake side.