It’s CHRISTMAS!!! Above is a picture of the “hang-loose” Santa Claus whom we saw in eastern Kauai this afternoon, Christmas Eve, riding on horseback along the roadside. (Pardon the reflections in the window.) Below is another “hang-loose” Santa, in this case a statue, that Becky and I saw a few days ago in Honolulu.

Meanwhile, here’s a photo proving that some traditions never change: earlier this evening, I hung my Christmas stocking from a curtain rod in our time-share condo in northern Kauai, and then I placed my stuffed cat, Kitty, inside it. Kitty has spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning inside my stocking every year since being “born in a Christmas stocking” in the late 1980s, and even though I’m five time zones away from home, this year is no exception.

Here in Hawaii, the Christmas Day weather forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and highs 80 to 85. Back home, it’s a different story. Dreams of a White Christmas are going to come true, and then some, with 7 to 14 inches of snow forecast for the Hartford area. Local TV station WFSB is calling it Winter Storm Blake, and they say it may produce “record Christmas snowfall.” Check out the latest radar loop, or view the coverage on CTNow.com, the Hartford Courant’s website. Better yet, here’s a live webcam image of Hartford! (Also check out Connecticut’s traffic cams and the UConn webcam.)

I’m not sure exactly what my parents’ Christmas plans are, but they will apparently include shoveling. :) Hopefully they’ll also include taking some videos of the snow! Out here, we’re planning to attend Christmas Mass at 8:00 AM, then do some more Kauai touring in the late morning and afternoon before heading to a nice Christmas dinner in Kapa’a at 5:30 PM.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!