A Perfect New Year's Day

As an early bird, I've never been a fan of New Year's Eve. New Year's Day, though, is one of my favorite holidays.

I believe a big part of it should be spent doing things you really enjoy.

So this New Year's Day began with a breakfast of leftover wiener schnitzel (with Dijon mustard and wild mushroom sauce) and cabbage.

After feeding the critters, walking the dogs, and reading the newspaper, I turned to the most pressing issue of the day: how to dress for the sheepdog trial. Winds speeds were predicted to be up to 40 mph and temperatures in the 30s.

So I dressed in some of my favorite winter gear: alpaca socks, wool long underwear pants, sweats and rain pants, silk long underwear shirt, wool long underwear shirt, and turtleneck. Then, I put on my canvas duck winter coat, alpaca hat, and Muck boots, loaded Mickey, the Border collie, into the car, and drove to a sheepdog trial.

Sheepdog people are an interesting lot. Like their dogs, they fail to see weather as a reason NOT to work dogs and sheep. Sheepdog people also like to eat. So for lunch, I grazed on sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, and chocolate covered cherries.

After running Mickey and placing second, I said my good-byes, loaded up the dog and headed home where I stoked the fire, fed the critters and made mashed potatoes and sauerkraut for dinner. If cabbage is truly a lucky vegetable, we're going to have a good year.

The evening calls for a fire and snuggling while listening to the wind and feeling the bite of winter that is finally arriving.