I have to admit that this photo (Maria took it) is the perfect Christmas morning card for Bedlam Farm.

I am taking a p photo of the three hens, all lined. Zip wrapped himself around my legs, and Maria touched my nose. I’ve given up naked photography; I don’t want to scare off our Amish neighbors who bought the property across the road.

(Above, me and my entourage photographing the chickens. I’m rarely alone out there.)

Maria and I are heading out shortly to pick up the 17 dinners we are distributing this morning throughout our county for people who can’t get out and get to the American Region, where they can be served at tables.

To us, this is what Christmas is all about. It helps give us meaning to the day—no online bargains for us.

I took some morning photos that caught the spirit of the place on a foggy and damp Christmas morning. I’ll post more when we get home from the deliveries. I wish everyone the best Christmas and offer my gratitude to all of you for reading and supporting this blog.

Morning clean up. Holiday or not, we shovel out the pole barn.

Across the road, mist on the hills.

We feed the animals old fruit, a kind of Christmas favor. They are very polite and wait their turn.

The three hens were lined up like soldiers this morning.

Maria got hold of a give-a-way basket of oldish fruit. The animals love it, especially the donkeys; apples and carrots are their favorites.

I’ve been training Zip to stay back and away from the road. This is my specialty for animal training. It works. If I’m taking a photo, zip always wants to walk me to the mailbox and out to the road. He stopped 20 feet short of the road as trained and waited for me. He’s an intelligent animal; he gets it.

Marias’ smile lights up the place, even on a cloudy, damp when she has just got up.