"I'll Fly Away, O Glory, I'll Fly Away..."

As of tomorrow I'll be taking off for my winter holidays. Some people escape to the comfort of warmer climates this time of year, but I've chosen to celebrate winter in all its bleak, frozen darkness and will instead be headed to northern Alberta and the Midwest :-).

In the meantime the quotes of the day as well as the feast and saints' days will post as they're scheduled, but unless something catches my eye on an airport television screen or comes to me by word of mouth during my New Year's pilgrimage to the "Fourth Rome" (and a fifth there shall not be! ;-) ), I won't be posting until after I've returned from my travels on 2 January.

I wish everyone on the Gregorian calendar a merry Christmas, Westerners throughout the world a happy New Year, and all the Orthodox on the church calendar a saving last few days of the Prophets' Fast! Your prayers as I travel - you are in mine.

Pictured are Edmonton (upper right) and the countryside near the Fourth Rome (lower left), around this time of year. Brrr!