In 2023, I bought a cute little Alberta Dwarf Fir to use as a Christmas tree. I kept it inside over the summer, and it grew several new branches. I figured it must be happy and healthy.

When I moved it to the dining nook to decorate it, it dropped most of the needles from the side that had been away from the window. I guess I should have let it summer on the porch, or at least rotated it more often.

Once Christmas was over, I moveed it to the hydroponics area to give it some serious amounts of light and see if it could recover, or if I need to look at the post-Christmas sales.

After a week or so, it's not looking good.

The orchids that Carol bought almost ten years ago, however, are all doing fine in the windows. Even the little daughter-plant that she split off from the ones she bought is growing, and I've got three blossoming.

Just before Christmas I made a run to get Caz more food. He and the cats were both getting anxious that they might soon see the bottom of their food bins.

As I left Pets mart with a 50 pound bag of dog food, a guy called, "Hey, do you have a dog?"

I considered being a jerk, but admitted to housing a bottomless pit(bull).

"Would you like some free dog toys? No strings."

He met me at my car with two garbage bags full of nearly new toys.

I accepted them and offered my condolences on losing his dog. It seemed like the obvious situation.

"No, my dog is fine, but my Great Dane doesn't like toys."

Caz is not that fond of most toys either, but my friends dog's got toys for Christmas.