Saturday, December 24, 2022

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Barks and Meows...

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
"Christmas"
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Woofs, t’was the night before Christmas, and throughout the neighborhood, the quiet of the blessed evening is beginning to fall. The humans have gone to attend their various Christmas Eve church services while the critters of the land quietly scurry behind to start their festive preparations for the glorious day.

Abby, Samson, and I love our neighborhood and the land where we have met new friends and their humans. We have met more than a few wild animal friends living amongst us throughout these wooded acres.

Suddenly, upon the rooftop, there arose such clatter, we grabbed our winter coats and rushed outside to take a gander at what is the matter. We look up to find a scurry of squirrels and small critters pulling and tugging and tying Christmas lights around the rooftop, moving quickly, getting the job done as there are more houses to decorate in these acres called home.

Barking, yelping, jumping, and running about, our new dog friends, Max, Carly, Ruby, Gus, and Buddy, join us bringing presents to the doorsteps of all the homes. They woof, they paw, they smile as they ready for the day at hand.

Paws, as we turn to go back inside, we see a white glistening from the west it comes, it gets brighter as we look, and something to behold having not seen this before. As we look, the mountains across the way have a fresh coating of new winter snow. The mountains almost seem to be smiling at us as we stare and look at their beauty.

GROWL! I hear from Abby with barks and a few more. She loves barking at all that is new to her. Lately, it’s everything. As I turn, I see it standing there, black and powerful-looking staring at us. It isn’t afraid, nor does it want to harm us. It must be the blessing of Christmas Eve as the large animal walks toward us. We don’t want to run inside or turn away as the large black bear wants to celebrate too. For he decorated his cave and the land around it with colorful lights to his cub’s delight. We find Mama bear preparing her fish and insect porridge for not only her family but for the rest of us as we decorate for this Holy Day.

As we walk the lane, it’s snowing again, creating a beautiful wintry scene. Looks like a white Christmas. We will run and play, throw snowballs, and kick some too, at our humans getting them to play. The hill in the backyard will become a grand pawlace to go sledding and skiing with the animals and mini-humans.

We begin dancing and celebrating the pawlans that have been made and the decorations finished. We may have disturbed our pawnderful friends Buck and Doe, the many dear deer roaming around. They slowly appear from their habitat. For they are celebrating the season too, their antlers covered with green brush and red berries, even a few lights. They stand watching our small pawty, soon joining us.

Our friends, the Turkeys, young and old, stay in their corner of the acres. They hope not to be seen or found wandering this time of year. They want to be pawrt of our celebration, but not the humans' Christmas Day dinner!

The beautiful birds join in the fun and decorating. The cardinals and bluebirds decorate the trees with their stunning colors, while the others bring berries, branches, and pine cones with garlands of greens to give the trees a final touch.

When the humans return home, they see the acres where we live peacefully together. Every home, every tree, and anything that could be decorated has been by the animals enjoying themselves. As the night becomes even quieter, the humans and animals alike gather together and look toward the beauty of the snow falling with the mountains in the background. As the animals slowly join in, the humans begin to sing, “Silent Night… holy night….” Another quiet hush as the singing diminishes, a human shares:

“For God loved the world so much
 that he gave his only Son, 
so that everyone who believes in him may 
not die but have eternal life
 - John 3:16.”

May your Christmas and holidays
 be full of joy and happiness!

(C) 2022, from The Dog's Paw!


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