Here I am on my last evening in OBX hearing the ocean waves rhythmically wash ashore. It’s different tonight as there isn’t a fierce wind making them sound as if they are about to push through the house.

I’ve put on Pandora so I could listen to classical choral Christmas music because I love to hear the music beautifully sung and have never understood why it needs to end on December 25. (It wouldn’t surprise me if you saw a post saying that exact same thing from about a year ago.)

And, after 5 years, it’s also the last New Year’s we will spend in this house as the owner has told us, in a most lovely way with champagne and gourmet dog biscuits (obviously for Scout (not the champagne) 😉 ) that the house would be blocked off from October to March so they could spent more time here. 🙁 Who could blame them?

I, however, come away with 5 years of memories of lovely New Year’s. These are some of my memories.

My Cha from December of 2015, her last Christmas with me. She was fifteen here and a grand dame. I’ve written two posts about her. She’s the only pup I’ve had from eight weeks on. She was very much my heart and soul dog. A gift, she was even though she arrived on April 1, but maybe that was part of the surprise, with so much life, intelligence, and stubbornness, but with fierce love and loyalty as well as a discerning vision of the people around me. I can still feel her velvety ears through my fingertips. I miss her so much.

Sunrise last year. That little flare showed up in all of my of the sunrise photos. I think it’s an alien space ship. 😉 It was an exquisite sunrise (none this year, too many clouds) with lovely temperatures (warm enough to sit outside and enjoy coffee) so I couldn’t blame the little aliens for visiting. Unlike this year. The coffee would have frozen almost instantly this year.

One of my favorite songs from 2014 that I played on New Year’s eve before going out to celebrate.

And a discovered song from the same year (it was made earlier) that still makes me chuckle. Oddly, Meg Cabot on one of her posts made me aware of this video.

What to say? This was the coldest week I’ve ever spent in OBX. There were icicles hanging from the deck, me completely alone on the beach, ice on the sand, and a beautiful full moon that I couldn’t quite capture because I didn’t bring a tripod. But here are some photos for you to get a taste.

So many memories. I have realized I have more stored in my head than on my memory card. But all of these can never be taken away. No reservations. Our hearts grow so big with all of the beautiful memories we have.

Next year, I’ll usher in the New Year’s from somewhere else (gulp), but will be making brand new memories…and who knows….hopefully there will be a new fur creature to instruct me on all that is good because I am convinced that dogs understand far more about trust and getting along than we humans, despite all of our so called intelligence, do.

Bless you all.

I hope that the New Year has been good to you so far.

I promise to answer all of the lovely messages I have received. You are in my heart.

I’m feeling melancholy, but blessed. Hugs.

Sascha Darlington 1/2/2018