Doin's on a Cold Winter Day

Well, the snowstorm was a bust for us here in the Lafayette area. All over Indiana, the roads are terrible, schools are closed, and the snow is still falling, blowing, and drifting.

But not in Tippecanoe County. We ended up under a "tongue of dry air" as the local meteorologist put it, and all the snow that was over us dried up before ever hitting the ground. 

Although I do hear a snowblower as I type. Not sure why - I've been out with the dogs and while there is a dusting of snow, it's nothing. I could (and I will) sweep our walks off - no shoveling or snow blowing needed. 

Anticipating being stuck indoors all day yesterday, I spent a lot of time packing up the last remnants of Christmas.

I sorted the ornaments into piles

and then am putting them into clothes baskets to carry upstairs to Craig's library where the Christmas closet and tubs are.

It's currently in a state of chaos, but it is organized chaos, a chaos that is going to pay off in the Christmases to come. I am going through every single tub and box (10+ of them) and repacking each one. 

A list of what's inside is taped to each lid, and a note as to whether or not to use the things in that tub for future Christmases.

My goal is to have the things I want all grouped together and in clearly marked boxes so that I grab only the tubs I want in the years to come. Much better than opening every single tub and box and digging through them, year after year.

It's doubled the work of packing up for this Christmas, but it will make Christmas decorating (and packing up) so much easier in the future.

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd received new models, but horses are not the only thing that's come in the mail for me. Check out this pretty bluebird.

Marilou Mol and Linda Shawhan sell collections for people on Facebook.

In December they listed this very old Hagen Renaker Bluebird. The earliest HR birds had wire legs like this.

We have bluebirds in our neighborhood and they do not migrate - they remain here year round. For three years, some of those bluebirds wintered in a barn swallow's nest that was over our front porch. It was a treat to watch them come and go, and to know that they had chosen a very safe, secure, and warm shelter.

So, when I saw this piece up for auction, I took a chance and bid on it. I am thrilled to add it to my HR mini collection!

I don't see any BreyerFest or other news posted on Breyer's web site this morning. They do have the 2025 releases, and the dealer's catalogue can be found here. But the Christmas horses are missing. Triple Mountain Model Horses shows many of the Christmas horses and this box is a must have for me.

A 75th Anniversary Advent Calendar of 12 days containing Mini Whinny versions of Breyers and vintage colors!  (Screenshot from Triple Mountain website.)

I was disappointed to see that the 2025 Breyer Advent Calendar is a mix of horses and unicorns. I will probably skip it this year, especially since I will have that 75th Anniversary Advent Calendar as I've already pre-ordered it from Triple Mountain. (Screenshot also from Triple Mountain.)

Today's plans? Keep on keepin' on in the grand Christmas decoration sort-out. Spend some time sewing - Kalamazoo is coming up in ten weeks and I am woefully low on inventory. Get Pepper and Tammo to the park for some frisbee time (I think I can get my walker through what little snow we got. Fingers crossed.)

And chili sounds really good for dinner on a cold winter day.

Stay warm, all!

More Friends Helping Friends - A New Steha-Leha!

I love it when hobbyists help each other. Last week Shannon Call did just that and I am still over the moon about it. She emailed me Friday morning saying, "Thought this might interest you" with a link attached.

Did it ever! How about a Steha-Leha Circus Horse in white? For a very fair price?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I clicked on the link to Triple Mountain Model Horses. Stehas are flocked horses that were made by Steha-Leha in Germany and distributed by Breyer in the 1960s. It is tough to find one that is in good condition, has all its wheels, and with the original feathers.

Eleda, proprietor of Triple Mountain, is a hobbyist herself and knows how to pack a fragile horse. That was evident in the note she include on my receipt.

I had been concerned how those feathers would fare while being shipped, but Eleda was also aware that they needed extra protection and loosely put bubble wrap around them with a cardboard protector around that. She was very careful that there was no exposed tape that might stick to the feathers or the model and remove any flocking.

The saddle was too far back and I carefully unbuckled the girth, hoping that the old plastic would not snap or crack. I also wondered if there might be some damage under the saddle or girth.

Aside from a girth mark where the flocking had been compressed, there was no damage and while the girth clearly hadn't been unbuckled in a long time, I was able to unbuckle it without any harm.

I hope to get Beauty, my black Steha-Leha Circus Horse out later today and compare the two. In the meantime, I am so excited to have finally gotten this piece after years and years of looking for one in good shape and at a fair price.

Thank you so much, Shannon, for the heads up, and to Eleda for knowing what she had and packing accordingly.