As I’ve mentioned here, our weather has been unusually nice for the past several months. The mild temperatures have persisted into early November, though the local weather forecasters predict that the weather gods’ largesse is about to end. I’ve taken advantage of our good fortune to stay ahead of late Fall’s numbing, cold rains, continuous overcast days, and steadily falling temperatures to batten down the proverbial hatches in advance of approaching Winter.
Stepping onto the deck, I look around my place and observe with some pride that there is precious little work remaining to be done, save to blow, rake, and bag the constantly falling leaves. This is by design, of course, since my trees shed their leaves slowly, over time. Based on long experience, I know it will be Thanksgiving before they are nearly bare. Even then, a couple of stubborn trees and large shrubs will hold for as long as possible until Winter forces their surrender. No need to work any harder than necessary for the time being, I think, and, meanwhile, I enjoy the trees’ still vibrant colors.
Lying next to me, Lola the Pup keeps a careful eye on the fevered activities of the birds and squirrels that call these trees home. She is too old, settled in her ways now, to chase or disturb them. Now a rabbit….
I can identify the birds that reside here more or less permanently: red cardinals, a few circling hawks, and, surprisingly, even red-breasted robins. I used to do my part by feeding them throughout the winter, but no longer, ever since Lola acquired a taste for large seeds and millet.
Squirrels dash about everywhere, scurrying up and down thick tree trunks, stopping momentarily to sit on their haunches to enjoy a few hard-earned bites of food. Then, it’s off again! I disturb the work of a common grey, who bounds up the safety of a nearby tree, making scratching noises with her sharp nails as she climbs, and once safe, stares down at me from a high branch, angrily chirping. When the squirrels finally slow down their frenetic Fall activities, I will know Winter can’t be far behind.
Like birds and squirrels, my neighbors, too, seem to have sped up their movements to take advantage of what is likely to be this last stretch of favorable weather conditions for the next several months. This past Halloween, we had more active, young trick-or-treaters than in many past years. As things turned out, I needn’t have worried about how to dispose of our leftover candy because there was none. Fortunately, like a squirrel, I managed to stash a few pieces for myself.
Recently, local traffic has been more congested, especially on the weekends. It’s getting harder to negotiate the lots or find convenient parking at the malls or grocery stores, while inside, customers patiently wait in longer lines. On Date Night with Robyn last week, we spotted a young couple happily looking over gigantic, electric lawn ornaments on display at Costco. They had loaded an artificial tree onto their cart.
More harbingers that the inevitable change of seasons is on its way.
