Hay, Merry Christmas!

How swiftly the seasons turn! Here's our wish to you for a joyous and spirit-filled Christmas and a wondrous and successful year in 2016 from my wife, Ann, and I.

It's been a great year for us and we hope it's been so for you too. As we get a little older it gets a little bit harder to climb up on things like these giant hay bales. We miss the little square bales of our youth but progress cannot be denied and we do our best to accommodate. Growing up on a corner of my great grandfather's farm prepared us well for this adventure. It was a challenge to get the cow we were riding to angle up to the bale so we could jump off but it finally worked!

Now for the rest of the story... This is a painting (you might have guessed) called, First Cutting, which we tried as best we could to match for lighting and and mood while photographing ourselves in the back yard this December. Luckily we had a warm day and could manage the look of July in Wyoming's December. Creating our unique Christmas cards has become one of our cherished and joyous Christmas traditions. We hope you enjoy them and are creating memorable traditions of your own to share with your children and grandchildren. As we look back, Ann and I realize just how much the traditions of our childhood mean to us and helped us become the people we are.

Thanks once more to our friends, family, students, patrons and followers for a very successful year. May you have all the very best blessings of Christmas and a terrific new year.