darker Still

 alright who got up at 4:30 for a coffee.................... ME !

I lit the Xmas tree beacon, so if you're walking your dog in the ravine - the hill is marked for you.......... you're welcome

Part of the dark ....er, is our province wide lockdown that starts DE24. No.1 is we don't know exactly what the lockdown covers. No 2 is fundamentally un - enforceable anywhere rural < b/c the folks won't care >

Our biggest threat is lack of ICU space and a shortage of ventilators across the province. In fact some rural medical facilities wouldn't have a ventilator. Here in the big smoke, our ICU capacity is now limited and the reserve space is almost gone.

Long range weather for the Great Lakes, especially the Golden Horseshoe, calls for mild and slightly wet right into Jan 2 But the pattern could include some wet or white

Last evening, one of Santa's elves appeared at our door < my second cousin > w/ Xmas cookies. As she was leaving, she commented that our lights were very subdues < here read - tiny > compared w/ the neighbours to either side - namel the ' zoo ' to our West and the decorated shrubbery to our East.

Thus, this afternoon, I trnslocated the Xmas tree beacon < eight footer > to the front yard. W may not have the msot but it will be the tallest by a margin. Pictures to follow. My main worry is that the beacon will be mistaken for the great conjunction < Saturn meets Jupiter > which has closest approach tonight.

The tree goes on at 4:30 local time approx the 4 hours before the great conjunction. Don't be fooled, now that you are warned

See pix above

I got to see the ' beacon ' at night 🌃. Actually, it's impressive for home made. Baling wire and glue construction, after all.

P.S. I'm typing on a Lenovo Tab M tablet < a Xmas present >

Light and simple to use if your tablet trained which I'm still learning to fiddle w/