The lights are up and the tree is trimmed but we haven't decked the halls with boughs of holly because holly is poisonous and could theoretically kill a small dog. So can Christmas lilies. However, poinsetta -- you'll be pleased to know -- has been given a clean bill of health by the ASPCA. So as soon as it stops raining, we're going out to buy ourselves a pot of Christmas poinsetta.

The rain started at dawn. Its a cold, pebbly wanna-be-sleet sort of rain and it has left the pavements wet and shiny. Bao is not impressed. He doesn't do wet. Just be happy it isn't snowing, I told him.

It did snow here once, a couple of years ago. I'll never forget it. I woke up and everything was white. I thought I was hallucinating. Bao was absolutely horrified. He thought I'd done it, somehow. He dug in his little paws and refused to go out until I'd removed all the snow from the sidewalk in front of our house, and then dried the sidewalk with paper towels.

Hopefully this year, the snow will stay on the mountains.

From both of us to all of you, Happy Christmas!