Christmas Eve, "all is calm, all is bright." The recent snowfall still glistens with the Christmas lights that decorate Fish Springs, but nothing can compete with the starlight that pierces the cold black sky. Our outside thermometer reads "zero." That's the coldest it's been at our house since last winter, but we're not cold inside and I'm just dressed in a tee-shirt and sweat pants. Our large "defiant" cast iron wood stove keeps the house toasty warm with its wonderful radiant heat. Yes, we do have to cut wood to heat our home, but that's part of country living.
During the 19 years that I worked at Gardnerville Elementary School my husband usually beat me home from his job. That was especially nice during the winter when he fired up the stove to heat the house. As I drove home along old Windmill Road I could see the white smoke coming out of the chimney. "I'm almost there!"
As soon as I walked in the door I would get in front of the stove, hike up my skirt and warm up my buns. Umm, creature comforts. Now that I'm retired, I can do that all the time. We also do some tasty cooking on the wood stove sometimes. A pot of simmering beans on a cold winter day is a particularly delicious comfort food.
It was on Christmas Eve 10 years ago that we had a visit from a beautiful mama deer and her wondrous fawn. Our house was totally decorated with lights inside and outside. The Christmas tree was adorned with many special ornaments and the nativity set with baby Jesus was nestled underneath.
Our grandchildren were waiting for "Santa's helpers" to arrive. The men were members of the Lions Club and they were dressed in Santa clothes. They gave all the children a bag with an apple and candy in it and a "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas" as they departed. What a wonderful treat for the kids.
That's when a little miracle happened. Two deer, a doe and her fawn, came up to our snow-covered deck and looked right into our large glass slider door. All of the adults and the children gathered together at windows to watch the magical deer who looked in at us. They stayed there for quite a while, just watching us as we watched them. It was a most special and memorable Christmas Eve indeed. We're hoping "all is calm, all is bright" for all of us this Christmas night.
n Linda Monohan can be reached at 782-5802.
