Chillin' With the Rose Parade . . . or not

I learned something interesting last night, HGTV is no longer showing the Rose Parade in full uninterrupted glory.  Came as a shock, a feeling of a tradition lost.  A few internet searches later and I still can't find an explanation.  A loss of contract?  Could no longer afford to show the parade without commercials?

This morning I found ABC and NBC showing the parade.  I can't watch NBC as our local affiliate and DirecTV have been in a negotiations war for months, and I can only watch programing on the app.  ABC was my only option.

So many thoughts.  First: I miss HGTV's coverage.  ABC had so many commercials and behind the scene features that would have been better suited as a pre-program, taking away from the parade itself.  I actually like seeing all the floats, bands, equestrians, etc.  This morning I could only watch the first hour, so I just finished watching the second, skipping through it quickly as commercials flew by. 

Still, I love the Rose Parade.  It's fascinating.  The creativity.  Construction.  Mechanical ingenuity.  Design.  Use of materials.  So many beautiful floats.  Someday I hope to see the parade in person, though a decade ago I got to look at the floats a couple days after the parade.  Worth doing once as the floats are magnificent in person.

New Years Day is coming to a close.  Day one into 2019 is almost finished.  Crazy.  I just want to take this year one day at a time.  Embrace what has been planned along with what hasn't.  Tomorrow I start my resolutions, as New Year resolutions should never start on the first.

This will be a great year. :0)  No matter what.

The Last Rose of Summer & The Brilliant Bright Moon

I picked this rose from the yard on the last day of Summer.  The fragrance sweet.  Store bought roses never smell nice, which is a shame.  "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  At least nature roses still smell nice.

The next day after picking this rose Utah nature took a crazy turn.  Rain, wind, and cold, the weather so crazy there was almost a tornado in Utah Valley when a funnel cloud appeared early morning, only to dissipate thanks to the valley mountains.  And between then and now the weather has been back and forth, taking turns between above and below normal temperatures.

This last weekend was heavenly.  The moon was brilliant, more beautiful then I've seen in a long time, passing through clouds, bright and clear.  I'm not the type to stare romantically at the moon, I prefer a night full of stars, but this last weekend the moon almost won me over.  The temperature that night as I stared at the moon was perfect.  Mid-seventies with low humidity, a slight breeze, the wind-chimes dancing in song.  I stayed outside long enough to enjoy natures thrill until the moon was finally engulfed.

The nice thing about living in north Utah during the Autumn is that we get to enjoy this season for quite awhile until snow hits.  Or maybe its lasted so long this year because I took advantage of the changing leaves when they first started to turn up in the mountains.  Every week since the beginning of September I've taken a trip into the mountains to take in the fresh, crisp air and admire the beauty of the trees.  They're captivating.  Now the trees in the valley have started turning.

This is my favorite time of year.

I'm going to enjoy each nice day we get.

I hope Winter minds its business and delays its welcome.