OF HOLIDAY PICS

1.4.00

    This Christmas, T. and I took a holiday at my parents' house. Here's a smattering of pictures. Apologies for the hefty download.

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Sniff. Lick.
Oz wears a Christmas bow.

New toy!
T. plays with the Playstation I got him.

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The hills are alive....
The view out of our bedroom window in my parents' house.
How serene is that?

Lucky, lucky, lucky dog.
Lucky, my parents dog. He's some sort of Shepherd mix. Possibly some husky for he has a curved tail. He's got big ol ears and tiny paws. He's about the same height as a regular Shepherd but not the same size. If you talk to him he'll cock his head and listen.

I hate you. I hate you, too.
Oz on the left and Thor, my parents cat (one of two). We brought Oz with us and he did remarkably well in the car. He and Thor became fast friends but the other cat, Freya, pretty much hated everybody. Oz actually was kind of a beast. He'd chase Thor up and down the hallway which is good because that boy is extremely fat.

That stuffed animal in the background was mine from when I was a kid. I called him Hunker because he was big and "hunked up the bed." I used to be able to sit in his lap. Over the years, he's gotten smaller.

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What are they? Fish?
T. and I got sleeping bags from my folks for Christmas.
I am very excited.

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A moment of Zen.
We went snow-shoeing, except there wasn't enough snow on the ground to warrant them so we ended up just shoeing.

This is the view to the North from a knob on Battle Ridge.

Hi, I'm a freaky alpinist guy.
T.

Log!
At another spot about twenty minutes above the first pic with a view to the South and the town of Ringling. That's my "little" brother, Eric, on the right and Lucky in the middle.

My little bro.

Bumps on a log.
Sittin' on that log. T. is on the left, Eric on the Right and me in the middle. T. had the idea for this pic and it's my favorite from the whole "roll" (these are from the new digital camera).

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Fire!
Me and Eric.

For New Year's we hung around the house and watched the various explosions across the world on the teevee. We drank a great bottle of champagne and then went out and shot off fireworks.

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On the ride home we kept our eyes peeled for the Testicle Festival billboard we had seen three years previous. We found it... and more!

Does that say what I think it says?
The Billboard.

Mmmmm... oysters.
A booth.

Someone got paid to paint that.
Official Testicle Festival headquarters, bar, gift shop and lodgings.

Here's the unedited text from the back of a postcard we purchased:

In 1982, a few hundred people gathered at the ROCK CREEK LODGE for the 1st annual "TESTICLE FESTIVAL." In 1992, thousands attended the 10th annual anniversary celebration, consuming over 2,400 lbs. of "Rocky Mountain Oysters." After, this first decade, 5 1/2 tons of the "Montana Tendergroin" had been served! To commemorate this milestone, owner and creator Rod Lincoln commissioned this sculpture. "OL' TESTY" is full-size, weighting nearly 900 lbs. You would be "TESTY" too, if you were about to be castrated! The "TESTICLE FESTIVAL," is held each year in early autumn. This western tradition of fun, frolic, and food (-and beverage!) has become the largest party of its kind in the world. Everyone "has a BALL!" The ROCK CREEK LODGE also features a salon, casino, food motel, gift shop, gas, and camping. For further info: ROCK CREEK LODGE, I-90 / Exit 126, Box 835, Clinton, MT 59825. (406) 825-4868.

Click to view the mascot, Ol Testy, and see some stats (24k). What you can't see in that picture are the gigantic balls a-swaying underneath. I am not linking to the Testicle Festival official site.

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