So, I went to our annual departmental Christmas party today. The weather cooperated fully in setting the mood - snow. Lots and lots of snow. Since I don't own a car, and live in an apartment (so, no shovelling, either), snow doesn't really bother me. In fact, it's beautiful.

An odd thing happened at the party, though. I was sitting on a sofa, my back to a large picture window, sipping a glass of wine, when I felt something hit, lightly, the back of my head. Unwisely (it turned out), I ran my hand through my hair to brush whatever it was away. There was something, all right. I felt it with my fingers. At first. Then I felt a searing pain in one of those fingers, as if someone had stabbed it with a tiny white-hot poker. As you might imagine, I moved my hand rather quickly in an attempt to get the heck rid of whatever it was. Yes, folks - in the dead of winter, in the middle of a very snowy, cold day, while sitting indoors, I had managed to get my finger stung by a yellowjacket. Thanks to another of my co-workers, upon whom it landed when I flung it across the room (no, I wasn't aiming at her), the hornet soon found itself out in the cold.

In other news, I got William Eggleston's "Democratic Camera" today. I've mentioned this before, but, what the heck, I'll mention it again. I love Eggleston's photographs. And this book is just what the doctor ordered. 134 very nicely printed plates, plus essays, on good paper, well bound. If you haven't already got his "Guide", then you might want to consider this book instead since a good many of the photos from the "Guide" are included. Unfortunately, if you're reading this in Canada, and are thinking, "By golly, I'm sold, I'll order it!", well, Amazon Canada is out of it just now. Rats. But, they've got more on order, so.....