>1,000 words. 'Nuff said.

Perhaps this is an inauspicious way to begin this blog, but as a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought this was the best way to mark the launch short of breaking a virtual bottle of champagne against the rubber chicken on the header.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Christmas, which in childhood was associated with all the months ending in -ber (really, one radio station always marked September 1 by playing Christmas carols). The word conjures up images of family reunions, the flavors of fantastic food and the odor of gunpowder on the streets from New Year’s firecrackers exploding prematurely. Which is why I stopped short upon seeing this festive skeleton hanging outside an otherwise unassuming suburban stucco house, in April no less.

Thoughts that crossed my mind:

1. I knew Berkeley residents had strong feelings about the Marines, resulting in negative financial effects, but I hadn’t considered that some residents might have equally strong sentiments about Santa Claus.

2. If Santa Claus really was that small, could he be related to the Flores Island hobbits (Indonesian, not the New Zealand variety)?

3. The house residents put off taking down the Halloween decor too long, decided to make the skeleton season-appropriate by adding the hat, and decided to save time and effort by leaving Santa Bones up year round. His hat seemed to have weathered the seasons quite well.