Happy Boxing Day

26 Dic.
I will start with a link for you as we have an Australian guest and today is Boxing Day in the old UK commonwealth countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day
Today in Italy, instead it is St. Stefano's Day.
Yesterday was a full day, with church, lunch at Raffaele's family, visits to the parents of Raffa's girlfriend in the mountains, a nap, dinner and then I watched Syriana which seemed altogether too plausible!
Today is again gray and rainy and chilly, but not as cold as Kansas City or Estes Park! We may tour Ascoli a bit and then dinner with friends. I am making Kalamata olive bread and the parmigiano/prosciutto bread.... we have to use up the beast as he is getting old and dry! (You remember the beast!? the 4 y.o. prosciutto)
Bacco is growing like a weed and happy and fairly calm for a puppy or in other world well behaved. Here are some pictures from today and an extra one for fun of little grapes forming in Spring. Just one more month before we plant the vineyard, weather permitting. Right now we will need a bit of dry weather if we are going to get that done.
If anyone has a yearning to visit in the next couple of months, I recommend Carnevale here the last few days of January and 1st few of February, It will be a hoot in Offida where they have the running of the bull (fake bull). Everyone gets hammered and has a good old time and the hospital gets a lot of visits, but not from goring.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/holiday season!
dds