Long term readers of Grampies blogs will have seen three Montreal grand kids and two Seattle ones on various cycle tours. The three Montreals (Amelia, Evelyn, and Joseph) plus son Joshua most recently travelled up and down the Loire with us, while the two Seattles (Avi and Violet) braved the Willamette. We got to see all five here at Christmas, together with Joshua and Sabrina, and Laurie.
Gramma Dodo and Amelia made birdseed cylinders for the eager feathered customers at our deck feeders.
We didn't quite coordinate it right (or maybe we did), because we had three grandkids at the house one day, and the other two the next. It meant we went through the pizza making twice, not to mention the requisite bagel breakfast.
While Avi checks out a balalaika. I tried to do my grandfatherly duty, filling Avi in on the story and background of the epic 1965 film Dr. Zhivago, in which the balalaika played a major role.
The year also brought us various birds, which we will no doubt sneak in as some of the first birds of our 2026 tally, rather than the last of 2025. These are common sightings hereabouts, but still a bit special:
These special turkeys "survived Christmas". Actually we don't think people are eating them. That is allowing them to expand their population.
