Falling Fast

October has given way to November, we have a fire in the wood stove every day now, and the first traces of snow have fallen on the upper reaches of Black Mt. Most of our garden has been harvested, with the beets, carrots and parsnips coming out of the ground last.

The last couple of weeks have been so colorful, with reds, oranges and yellows predominating. The only green plants are mostly evergreens. In the evening the western Sunlight hits Red & Black Mountains and adds a richness to the yellow-gold which turns pink when the the Sun dips below the visible edge of the earth.

The air is brisk, nips at your nose, there is no chance to forget you're alive, one's senses are on high alert. The country is beautiful but it plays no favorites to the careless. It is not uncommon to see a hawk flying away with dinner in it's talons. The coyotes call in the evening and the owl hoots in the nearby forest.

As each Fall approaches I tell Sue, "this year we're just going to have to set out our Autumn figurines on 'Michaelmas' (Sept. 29th) but we're always a few days late. We pick 'Michaelmas" because it is a date often mentioned in the various Jane Austen novels-made into movies that we love to read and watch. Besides, it makes a convenient on which to mark the Autumn Harvest Season. It makes no sense to wait until late November. In productive gardens, harvesting starts in Mid-Spring. We keep our Fall figurines displayed until December 6th,

St. Nicohlas' Feast Day, when they are replaced by our Christmas figures.

Sue and I are very fond of the evening and night sky. We especially like the Fall and Winter night sky because we love to look at Orion. I'm also a big fan of Moon scenes as you can see at the left.

Thanksgiving is not long off and I can hardly wait. I love turkey, cranberry sauce - home made of course and pumpkin pie - also home made. Got to now, have to start the evening's fire. John