CHRISTMAS 2014 AT 960 CALVERT ROAD RISING SUN, MD
Text & photos (taken with Fuji FinePix camera), by DT
Began typing on Dec. 31, 2014. Posted on Jan. 1, 2015
NOTE: When I first put the photos on this web page, I had enlarged them quite a bit. But just last night, February the 17th, 2016, I noticed that it was impossible to see the previously enlarged sections of the photos outside the normal text-photo column. Sorry about that. So now, I am working on reducing all the photos back down to the standard text-photo column size, so that the complete photo may be seen. This might take a while. Sorry about that too.
[O.K., it is now March 17, 2022, and I have just finished reducing all the photos. -D]
To enlarge the photos & text, hold down "Ctrl" & press "+" one or more times as desired. To reduce the photos & text, hold down "Ctrl "& press "-" (to left of "+" key). Then, click on scroll bar at bottom of screen & drag it all the way to the right to see complete photos. I can enlarge 5 times on my widescreen laptop & still be able to see entire photo & text. It may be different for your computer screen.--
-- Dec. 12, Friday. Melatonin Practices--
001. 12:29 pm. Mark, James & Seth have just brought their equipment into the living room in order to practice 30 songs for a 2-hour performance at Wesley's, in Elkton, MD, tonight. Diana the cat is inspecting the drum case-- 
002. 1:42 pm. L-to-R: James Mears (bass); Seth Tillman (guitar); Mark Viggiano (drums). Justin Jolley (not pictured) plays guitar & keyboard. The name of their band is Melatonin. That suitcase turned on end in front of Seth is what Mark uses for a bass drum--
003. 1:42. James playing his bass guitar-- 
004. 1:43 pm. James--
005. 1:43 pm. Seth playing a G chord on his "new" Taylor 210 CE acoustic guitar, which has a built-in amplifier so that it can be plugged into the sound equipment--
007.1:44 pm.Mark drumming with "brushes," which make a softer sound than do drumsticks-- 
009. 1:45 pm. Mark. I don't know what the cloth is for. I didn't know it when I took this photo , but this was Mark's last full day in this part of the country. The next day, he & his family headed for Tampa, Florida, & Mark will be attending a plumbing school somewhere down there for a year-- 
* * *
--Dec. 14, Sunday. Getting Christmas Tree
at Pine Valley in or near Fair Hill, MD--
010. 2:26 pm. Seth, Caroline, Jonah White, Ezra, Momy (Vicki). Arriving at Pine Valley Christmas Tree Farm-- 
013. 2:27 pm. Ezra, Momy, Caroline, Seth, James, Jonah-- 
014. 2:27 pm--
015. 2:27 pm. Caroline-- 
016. 2:28 pm. James-- 
017. 2:28 pm. Jonah-- 
018. 2:28 pm. We go to select a pre-cut tree now-- 
019. 2:29 pm. We enter the Christmas Tree Forest-- 
020. 2:29 pm. Which tree will it be?-- 
021. 2:30 pm. This is not the tree we finally selected-- 
022. 2:34 pm. We finally pick our tree. The Christmas Tree Guy takes a metal stand out of the base of the trunk. I don't think I ever noticed that in years past. The stand must be very heavy to be able to hold the tree upright!--
024. 2:35 pm. In the gift shop--one of the rooms inside the office bldg. Ezra bo't an elegant Christmas tree ornament, hand-crafted in Uzbekistan, on which was painted an image of Mary Magdalene. Later, you'll see a close-up photo of it-- 
025. 2:35 pm. In the large area adjoining the gift shop, Momy is paying for the tree-- 
026. 2:35 pm. Wreaths for sale too. Soon after this shot, Momy goes out to drive her car around to pick up our tree. I don't know where the others were at this time, but Ezra & I got in line at the cash register & he was paying for the ornament. He was talking to the cashier lady about where they got the ornaments; I said something; then I heard a voice behind me saying something to me; I turned around & there was Brian Phillips, who used to work at Neilson Copiers with me. Brian is the brother of Al, the owner of the company. Brian's wife, Beverly was with him. I hadn't seen Brian in at least 7 years. He had Beverly take a photo of him, Ezra & me standing together. He sent the photo to Al &/or his other brother, Timmy-- 
* * *
--Dec. 19, Friday--
We haul crates of decorations & the tree stand from the cellar; Seth & D put stand on tree after measuring heights of ceiling & tree; for once, no trunk or lower limb sawing is necessary; we put an old Christmas record on the phonograph; Momy gets out strings of lights; we begin winding them around the Christmas tree.
001. 6:37 pm. Seth & Ezra-- 
002. 6:37 pm. Momy checks out the lights-- 
003. 6:46 pm. Seth & Ezra begin decking the tree boughs with lights-- 
004. 6:48 pm-- 
005. 7:03 pm-- 
006. 7:21 pm. Lights are landed after long struggle; Dady got involved in the project when all seemed lost-- 
007. 7:23 pm. Ezra with Chowder in lap-- 
008. 8:18 pm. Seth placing angels-- 
009. 8:38 pm. Ezra hangs Mary Magdalene ornament-- 
011. 8:41 pm-- 
012. 8:43 pm. Dady hangs most expensive ornament-- 
013. 8:45 pm. Rosie being cute-- 
014. 8:46 pm. Momy continues to select ornaments; she hands them to us; we hang them on tree-- 
015. 9:12 pm. Decorating done-- 
016. 9:18 pm-- 
* * *
--Dec. 21, Sunday--
The day before, Seth had collected Joanna's dog Tumnus from her in White Marsh, MD, about an hour from here, & just N of Baltimore. Seth bro't Tumnus back here to Rising Sun to stay with us till Sunday. The following photos were shot when I took Tumnus for a walk along Thankless Lane, which I now call, "Thankful Lane"--
002. 4:12 pm. Bordering the W (west) side of Thankful Lane; Mr. Ralph Reisler's (RICE-ler's) barn, cows, and S (south) field; in the far distance behind the 2 groups of cows on the right is Mr. Reisler's pond, & farther right is his house; Tumnus & I are headed to the pond-- 
006. 4:15 pm. Four calves-- 
008. 4:15 pm. We're closer to the pond now, as you can see; the calves were playfully running & romping off & on, and I finally caught one in action-- 
009. 4:15 pm. The mothers are protectively shifting around, in response to their babies scampering in the presence of strangers (Tumnus & me)-- 
011. 4:15 pm. More romping & running, while bull (3rd from right) is calmly grazing-- 
012. 4:15 pm. Bull calmly on the move-- 
013. 4:15 pm-- 
014. 4:15 pm. Calf nursing (far right), while mother keeps a watchful eye-- 
015. 4:16 pm-- 
016. 4:17 pm-- 
017. 4:19 pm-- 
018. 4:19 pm-- 
019. 4:19 pm. Pond this side (S) iced over--
020. 4:20 pm-- 
021. 4:20 pm-- 
022. 4:25 pm. Tumnus & I are inside the fence now & have rounded the W end of the pond; that's Mr. Reisler's house beyond the N side of the pond; I don't think I had ever noticed it being visible from the pond until this day-- 
023. 4:32 pm. Can you see where the ice cover starts? After this shot on the N side of the pond, looking WSW, Tumnus & I headed back home-- 
* * *
--Christmas Day--
002. 11:01 am. Nathan-- 
003. 11:01 am. Micah & Santa Claus Seth. Joanna was Santa Claus too, but for some reason, I didn't get any photos of her in the hat-- 
004. 11:01 am. Joanna & Ezra-- 
005. 11:02 am. Nayeon & Miran-- 
006. 11:02 am. Miran-- 
007. 11:02 am. Nayeon-- 
008. 11:03 am. Santa Claus takin' break; Ruth & Micah--
009. 11:03 am. Santa Claus is now inside the TV set-- 
011. 11:04 am. Ezra-- 
013. 11:04 am. Miran-- 
018. 11:07 am-- 
020. 11:09 am. Tumnus-- 
022. 11:11 am-- 
023. 11:11 am. Ruth, looking at her new coat-- 
024. 11:12 am. Joanna-- 
025. 11:12 am. Ruth in her new Christmas coat-- 
026. 11:12 am-- 
001. 5:52 pm. Our final Advent service for the year; Patty, Micah, Ruth, Joanna, Wil-- 
002A. 5:53 pm. Momy, Nathan, Nayeon, Miran--
003A. 5:53 pm. Patty, Micah, Ruth--
004A. 5:56 pm. The Advent wreath--
005A. 5:56 pm. Ezra & Seth--
006A. 6:38 pm. In the kitchen; Nathan, Nayeon, Miran-- 
That's all the Christmas Day photos.
* * *
--Dec. 26, Friday--
007. 12:11 pm. At Nottingham County Park, Nottingham, PA, about 15 minutes from our house; Ezra, Momy, Caroline, Seth--
008. 12:16 pm. Joanna, Caroline, Seth, Ezra, Momy-- 
009. 12:18 pm. Tumnus & Joanna--
010. 12:18 pm--
011. 12:18 pm-- 
012. 12:18 pm-- 
013. 12:19 pm-- 
014. 12:21 pm. Momy said "Take a picture of yourself," so I did-- 
015. 12:22 pm. Approaching a bridge over water-- 
016. 12:23 pm. Seth, Caroline, Ezra & Momy get ready to play Pooh sticks-- 
017. 12:23 pm. Sticks dropped in water-- 
018. 12:23 pm. Sticks in water; headed downstream under bridge; whose stick will win?-- 
019. 12:23 pm. Now at the other side of the bridge--
020. 12:23 pm. I wasn't aware at the time so had to ask later whose stick made it out from under the bridge first: Seth's did--
021. 12:25 pm. Caroline--
023. 12:40 pm. Tail up, front leg lifted, Tumnus is pointing like a bird dog--
024. 12:41 pm. At end of exercise trail, some or all of us always walk the beam. Here, Seth walks the line, with Tumnus in tow & Caroline following--
030. 4:54 pm. We're back home now--
035. 4:58 pm. Moon in the SSW--
039. 5:09 pm. Looking N at Christmas lights on kitchen porch-- 
040. 5:10 pm--
* * *
--Dec. 29, Monday, 2014--
001. Seth, Ezra & Dady in the "computer room" (a.k.a. the "Brown Room") just after recording (for E&OV4 ) "The Warrior Is a Child," written & sung by Twila Paris, who released it in1984-- 
* * *
--Dec. 30, Tuesday, 2014--
001. 12:33 pm. Seth practicing for a 50-song set to be performed at Wesley's (a restaurant in the Fairhill area a few miles from our house) on Friday-- 
002. 12:33 pm-- 
003. 12:34 pm-- 
004. 7:31 pm. Kitchen dressed for Christmas. Top banner by Dady, 2013; lower banner by Patty, 2013-- 
005. 7:31 pm. Christmas-card close-up-- 
006. 7:32 pm-- 
007. 7:32 pm-- 
008. 7:33 pm-- 
009. 7:33 pm. D's nephews Tyce (L) & Dylan (R) Brewington from Micanopy, Florida-- 
(002. 01-03-15 11:19 pm.) This photo of Dylan (upper) & Tyce (lower) was on the back of the card sent by Billy & Shannon (D's niece & her husband)--
(001. 010215 2:36 pm.) Photo sent by D's nephew Niles (Gainesville, Florida) of his son & daughter, Liam & Charlotte, with Santa Claus-- 
(022. 12-31-14 11:08 pm.) The final Christmas card finally arrived [Note: I guess I meant that the card arrived on Dec. 31, 2014, but I'm not sure when the picture was taken.]-- 
011. 7:35 pm. Christmas village having been placed on piano in years past, is now on cabinet in living room-- 
012. 7:36 pm. Chinese banner (from Nathan); papoose from Four Corners, New Mexico (from Ezra); & Orion the Mighty Hunter constellation embroidery (by & from Caroline, Christmas 2014) on W end of S wall in living room-- [Note: I don't know what happened to the picture--sorry about that.]
013. 7:36 pm. Orion the Mighty Hunter constellation embroidery (made by Caroline & given to D, Christmas 2014)-- 
* * *
--Dec. 31, Wednesday, 2014--
[Note: It is now March 17th, 2022 and I have just finished re-sizing the photos to fit the center column properly. I don't remember what happened to the final pictures listed below. Maybe I never posted them. - D]
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THE END (March 17, 2022) - D.