You may have read the old poem about November:
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!
Thomas Hood, No!
Well, not this year! We have had many warm days, and many sunny days. Today it is quite cold, but as you can see it is gloriously bright.
Actually, I am a big fan of November. This is the month when the landscape opens up. We can see lights in the distance which were hidden throughout the summer. I'm sure that in past times, the families who lived on these isolated hill farms were happy to see the neighboring lights. When there wasn’t easy communication between people even a mile away, they must have brought great comfort in the winter season.
I’ve discovered nests that I didn’t even know were there. How did I miss the building of those summer homes? Were there so many noises of summer that I never heard the little ones peeping for food? Why didn’t I see those babies as they began to leave the nest?
The deer who were in the woods all summer come out to browse what is left in my vegetable garden, and I whisper a little prayer that they will be spared the hunters’ bullets.
November is an introspective month. Just as I am coming around to liking it, it is almost December!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm eager to visit your blog often. I think I will find it very comfy here!
Your house looks beautiful against that brilliant blue sky!
Thank you for your comment, dear aisling! The first one!! I don't know if you have an interest in astrology, but much of November is in the sign of Scorpio, which is all about delving inside. I think we all need that time, whether we like it or not. :<) It is a time of introspection, as you say, a time of maybe changing oneself, one's habits. Sometimes the changes are difficult, but often they are wondrous, and we feel so much better when we get into Sagittarius for having gone through this time.
ReplyDeleteI like November too. The gloomy, dark and dreary days seem to satisfy something within me. However, the month I delve inside myself is January. I believe most of the month is under Capricorn.. is that right? What is the Capricorn sign all about, Nan?
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know about your blog. I look forward to visiting often!
Vicky, I am not an expert in astrology, but my sense of Capricorn is that it is rather steady and serious. After the frivolity and pace of the time before Christmas, I welcome it. Also, the light is coming back into the world which makes us certain that spring will return.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, Nan!
ReplyDeleteGosh, thanks Debbie.
DeleteQuite the perspective. I have noticed a rather large nest in a tree around the corner. i had no idea it was there. And the lights of neighbouring farms, that is so cool and very comforting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming back to read this.
DeleteGreat post, Nan! I absolutely adore this time of year: from September to December. I really like it when days get shorter and we come back home looking for warmth. I feel, however, that summer is a much more generous season for homeless people and stray animals and they come to my mind and my heart when the weather is really cold or the rain incessant. But these four months are an absolute haven for me. Even my energy goes up. November, certainly, is a month for introspection, but isn't that true of all the autumn and winter months?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming back to read the first posting. Yes, it is a most difficult time of year for those without homes. I hope others remember as you do.
DeleteAnd I agree - introspection comes so naturally this time of year.
Your house is beautiful. Congratulations on your six years of blogging. We seem to like many of the same things, you and I. I only wish I'd found you back in 2006.
ReplyDeletePlease enter me in the draw for the calendar. I'd like to win it so I can learn more about your neck of the woods.
Oh, thank you.
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