Signs of Winter

 

Autumn is leaving us rather quickly. We've raked up most of the once vibrant leaves that have fallen and the trees are becoming bare. David has been chopping wood for Lin's fireplace and we see smoke curling from the neighbor's' chimneys on many crisp mornings. The sky tends toward gray instead of blue. Dusk comes in late afternoon instead of late evening. We've dug out our gloves, warm jackets and heavy socks. The screens have been replaced by glass windows. The furnace comes on regularly though I always seem to be cold. Winter's coming … all too soon.

When we were in Vermont recently, we saw lots of woolly bear caterpillars crossing the road. All were mysteriously heading southwest; they prefer the warm evidently. I'm with them. Actually those poor guys freeze solid as a rock over the winter and thaw out in the Spring to become tiger moths. Short lives and most of it frozen. In the meantime, though, they're heading out of town.

Canada geese are honking up a storm. We see their V-shaped flight patterns regularly ... heading south, too.

Evidently some opt to stick around though, because we've seen them ice skating on the local ponds during the winter months. Crazy geese.

Squirrels have been busy here. They chatter away as they scamper up and down trees, mouths full, collecting their winter stores.

There are ads in the newspaper for cords of firewood, coal and plowing services. The barns and silos are full of hay. The cold and snow are sure to be upon us soon. I'm not wishing for a white Christmas.

After having summer Christmases down under for the past few years, I must say that going to the beach for a BBQ beats shoveling snow and freezing my tush off. Definitely time to return to Nine of Cups soon. Summer's coming to Australia. In the meantime, brrrrr!