It was immediately clear that we were no longer in the south. "What are those funny looking trees?" I asked Dogdad. "Black junipers," he answered. Hmmm. They're so fat and furry, not like our lean palm trees. Kind of like the difference between a hairy dog and a whippet, I thought to myself, picturing the waggle we were going to meet in a few days.
And what are those interesting looking houses? And, gasp!!! Are those hills????? We have nothing like that where we live!!!And what's with those temperatures, I wondered, as we watched the numbers on the console drop from the 30s to the 20s to 18???
But after a few hours, we arrived at Grandma's, Dogdad's Mom, and forgot all about the temperatures in the warmth of her greeting.
That is, we forgot all about the temperature until we had to go outside. By morning, when we it was hovering around 7 degrees, Mom insisted that we dress for the weather. Dogdad put on his once-a-year coat and muffler, kind of like Ralphie in the Christmas Story (which runs as a marathon when we get to St. Louis).
And, you remember the sweater boyz, don't you? "Mom, you can't be serious!!!" She also tried to put some rubber booties on us -- but when we just looked at her as though she was nuts, she abandoned that idea. And, for some reason, we didn't seem to mind the cold on our paws. Or, for that matter, the cold on our bodies. We do have fur coats after all.
We just chilled and made ourselves comfy.
On Day Six, we went to visit an old college friend of Dogdad's and we saw our very first Christmas tree. Remember, this year was the first time we didn't spend Christmas at our animal camp, so it was very exciting, so exciting that JH, after jumping on laps and licking faces, decided to take a nap.
That evening, Mom and Dogdad went to visit one of Dogdad's brothers, our uncle Mike, and we went along. Zowie, even more Christmas trees. But there was a surprise for Mom -- Chanukah presents -- including a beautiful Lenox menorah.
When we got home, it was really really cold -- and JH curled up in his bed with Dogdad's muffler while I just toughed it out!!.
By Day Seven, it warmed up -- but began to rain. And Mom had a new surprise for us: raincoats.Don't even ask!!!
On Christmas Eve (Day Eight), after a 4:00 pm Mass at Graham Chapel at Washington University, the folks went over to our uncle's for the traditional Christmas Eve celebration with all the young'uns -- Dogdad's eleven young great nieces and nephews under the age of 16 (with one more on the way)!!! (We know this only because the Heron-cam -- who decided to fly with us after all, despite the cold -- reported it. The folks thought that, because there would be so many people, including very young ones, it might be better if we stayed home. I guess we agreed -- but we didn't really have a choice.) 
But then, it was Christmas day (Day Nine), and we were invited to join the folks at our uncle's. We were very good -- and discovered that we had Christmas stockings of our own with lots of treats -- squeakies and chewies. Mom and Dogdad made sure that we were comfortable, and we had a wonderful time.
But the culmination of it all for Mom -- besides having us with her -- was opening a special Christmas/anniversary present that Dogdad had bought her -- a beautiful silver articulated camel made by an Israeli artist which Mom had been admiring for at least four years in the window of a local shop. What, you might ask, a camel and not a wire fox terrier? Chanukah and Christmas presents?????? And antlers???? We can't answer; she's our mom!! And it's a eucumenical thing.
One of these days, she'll show you her collection of two hundred camels - but for now, whippet waggle time is next!!
Jake
