The most wonderful time of the year

My life took an exciting, if not predictable, turn this weekend, when Those Two began shuffling furniture around, disappeared for an hour or two, and returned with an aromatic tree! Yes, I can now feel like an outdoor cat without getting my pretty pink pads dirty!

Since this is our first Christmas in the Pacific Northwest, my mamas had to find a new tree farm, and apparently they picked a winner. They set out on Friday, which was a beautiful day before the rain moved in over the weekend.

Not only was Washougal River Christmas Trees a beautiful place, but it had a festively decorated barn full of animals for viewing and petting. My mamas just adore animals, so they spent a while in the barn and at a couple of outdoor pens before launching their tree search. I can’t tell whether Sierra here has been hitting the eggnog, or if she’s just had enough of the holiday hoopla already.

It has been a tradition for years for Those Two to cut down their own tree, but this year they opted for a pre-cut tree, because they wanted a smaller one to fit into their downsized lifestyle. They discovered that it was much easier to make a decision when no manual labor was involved, and soon settled on this one:

After it was baled, they stuffed it into the Honda and returned home, where before they could unfurl it, I decided I was mighty thirsty!

Later in the afternoon, the wine was uncorked, and they started stringing the lights and hanging ornaments while watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — another tradition of theirs.

Now I have a place to put my first — and possibly only — Christmas gift. Yes, I was quite surprised and flattered when our cat-loving friend Morgan brought me an Advent calendar. I have no idea exactly what an Advent calendar is, but it has lots of little doors that conceal treats, so I’m all in!

I’m a cat who is very loved and pampered, so almost every time of the year is pretty wonderful, but there is something special about those few weeks when I can sit by the tree, enjoying the lights and scents of the holiday. Peace.