Away for the Holidays

Our woodshed in Campton Hollow.

Away for the Holidays, holy indeed!

Away from my children, fruit of my seed.
Away from my home, away from our hearth.

Away from my Shirl-Girl, best wife on Earth.

Why go away at this one time of year?

Why eat solo dinners of ciorba and beer?
Why go to Romania's Cluj-Napoca?

Why not stay at home, playing computer poker?

If you have been to this handsome old town,

If you have friends here, and love that abounds,
If you have taught here, and come back for more,

If you have lived here, then you know the score.

Râul Someș Mic, the Little Somesh River, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Cluj is an old Transylvanian town,

Cluj is at Christmas in high spirits found,
Cluj on the Someș Mic, lighted in white.

Cluj's piațas shine, happy, and bright!

You see, although seventy-one, I'm still glad,

You see, I've been given the best gift I've had,
You see I thank God, and thank Shirley, as well,

You see, I've been made free to travel and dwell,

In places away from my dear Campton Hollow,

In pursuit of learning, and new friends to follow,
In cultures far different, and countries far distant,

In grateful joy, until no more existent.

Merry Christmas! / Craciun Fericit!

________________________

by Duncan C. McDougall, 

21 December, 2014.  All rights reserved. 

Quotation permitted with proper citation

 of the author and of this blog.

Three Generations

Three generations of McDougall Men, Dadiu (71), Jesse (36) and Angus (1)

Jesse and Cally came over from Vermont last Sunday, bringing their son Angus, soon to turn one. They also brought an organically grown turkey, raised on their farm, to cook on Monday for our four-day-late Thanksgiving celebration, Still further, they brought us a good-sized sample of just about every kind of meat recently harvested from this year's four pigs, also raised on the farm.  The pigs and the turkeys were their first since their taking over as managers of The Pullman Farm.

With Jesse and Cally of The Pullman Farm

If the turkey is an indicator of the farm's quality, the pork will be sensational!

The star of the celebration was Angus, a solid little fellow who weighs more than he looks like he weighs (a characteristic that he comes by honestly).