November, How'd We Get Here?

 

I thought I was just looking up at the trees to view the leaves just a few moments ago and now I look down - and there they are.  Still pretty, with their interesting colors and patterns.  And my body is just a little confused by the big change in temperature.  Sadly, Tuesday's winds did nothing to ease the transition in the least.  

Of course, we can blame the unseasonably warm temperatures we had just prior to the crash.  But, this has been a common occurrence each of the last several years.  One moment, things seem mild, and the next - not so much.  I don't really have the excuse that I haven't experienced this before.  I know I have and it wasn't that long ago.

Still, for some reason, this year's transition seems more jarring to me than some.  Perhaps it is simply because I just don't quite feel like it should be November just yet.  Both Tammy and I are feeling like we got here a bit faster than usual.  One moment, it was late August.  The next, we're saying hello to the gateway to Jack Frost's domain.

Up until the weekend, we still had some green.  But that was before we had temps enter the teens at the farm.  Even the grasses that were a vibrant green have lost some of that color.  The red leaves on the burning bushes and sumac are drooping and are rapidly falling as the wind pulls at their tenuous connections.  At this point, the slow change from the long, gentle weather is a memory.

If I don't remember to put on a jacket or coat, there are now consequences.  Sure, I can handle it.  But, as I say, there are consequences.  We've also entered the territory where gloves during even a brief chore run is a good idea.

Getting water to the chickens immediately becomes just that much more difficult because outside sources are no longer as convenient as they were just a few brief days ago.  Now I'm remembering that I need to set up water heaters and put up plastic to cover parts of the hen room we open up so there is air circulation during warmer months.  The crops that are now officially VERY DONE need to get cleaned up before they get either too slimy or too crispy for that job to be even remotely efficient.

And it all happened - just like that <snaps fingers>.

So remind me again.  How did we get here?