Change for November

Tomorrow is December 1st.  I am truly amazed at what an awesome November we've had.  Awesome in Salt Lake City, Utah, that is.  I understand they've had their fair share of snow in the southern part of the state - or windy or stormy weather.  But in my little corner of the world it's been a great November as far as the weather goes.

Oh, there have been a couple of days that have chilled to the bone.  Just a couple is odd for November.  Usually seems filled with darkened skies and dry moisture - I realize that is an oxymoron on my part.  But the winters in Utah are harsh with a dry air quality - much drier than in the summer - and yet November is usually always filled with rain or snow or sleet or hail.  I don't understand why when the elements are wet the air is dry - but it is.  My skin and my mouth are always thirsty.

Most all of the trees have lost their leaves by now.  There are still leaves crunching on the ground.  Only a few trees have color left on them.  The scenery doesn't seem as naked as when the skies are grey.  For the most part the skies have had a brilliant shine that isn't normal for this time of the year.  Jenna and I have shed both coat and jacket as we exit the bus to walk to school and on the return home.

We've been bussing it for two months now.  And we have been blessed with overall great walking weather.  We had a few flurries of snow on the 21st.  But that's all they were.  Flurries.  Nothing stuck.



I believed that the mountains had received more snow - but they're looking pretty naked also.  Not a good thing for skiers or those who built their business to rally around those connected with skiing or other winter sports.  We depend on the snow to be sent into the valley as it melts and makes its way down rivers and streams.  And when it doesn't snow, we don't get the water supply we need for our own growth.  But I honestly don't miss not having snow in the valley.

I loathe shopping.  I know I've mentioned it before.  All of my mom's children hate shopping - and yet we've all married avid shopaholics - or at least three of us have.  I hate crowds.  I hate traffic.  I don't even want to leave the house between Thanksgiving and Christmas because of the traffic.  Especially Saturdays.  And Black Friday.  Dark Friday.  Bleak Friday.  A taste-of-hell Friday.  There is absolutely no way I'd be camping a night or two in order to get the "good deals" No deal is worth that!



But I have gone out with Roland these past couple of days - I think mostly due to the awesome weather.  I would love for it just to stay that way - though I would prefer at least two more hours of daylight vision.  That sun seems to drop out of the sky very early and it gets dark quickly.  And stays dark.  Not like Alaska though.  It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

I'd like to live somewhere where the temperature is pretty much like it is for me right now.  And keep it at this temperature all year round.  Perhaps a little more color and not so many empty trees.  We have truly been blessed temperature wise.  At least I think we have been.