November comes….

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring
~Clyde Watson

The days of October slipped by as they so often do with many days of warm sunshine punctuated by a scattering of heavy rains and the first wild wind storm of the season. Winds from a huge Pacific cyclone swept across our island on October 24, leaving us in the dark for one night and snatching the leaves from our maple tree before I was ready to see them go. But now the sourwood tree is dressed for the ball with her scarlet leaves and gay tassels. This little tree in the front garden, and the dogwood tree in the back, will hold their lovely leaves well into November providing welcome cheer in a landscape quickly transitioning into the browns and many greens of a Pacific Northwest winter. With the heavy frosts of the past two mornings, these last red and russet leaves may be teased loose even sooner, so as I work about house and studio this month I’ll be enjoying the gifts of their color for as long as they remain.

Happy November, dear reader. May you find time to take childish delight in the gifts of this season!