Still in Awe

                                                            There have been

                                         some really bitter cold days and

                                         many that have felt like fall still.  

Most trees are bare, 
but I am floored by 
the leaves that are

still clinging on. 

We’ve had some 
really strong winds. 

I'd think the leaves 
would all be gone.  


We haven't had the snow 
that we've had with so many 
other winters.  It looks
like fall

                                           Perhaps the leaves on the trees 
                                           are just too

                                                                     frozen to move.

Saying Hello and Good-bye to Autumn

Whereas autumn seemed to linger for several months last year, I believe that the cycle will be over all too quickly this year.

I had heard the mountain trees had started turning in August.  But as for my view of Salt Lake City valley, the trees (or the majority of them anyway) did not start turning until last week.

            There are still many green trees that haven’t handled the chill in the same way as those that are already starting to lose leaves.  What?  The ones that started turning last Monday are now shedding their leaves for the winter?  

            Toward the end of the week, I did notice more that were turning.  This morning I saw radiant beauty of yellow and orange golds, one tree that was undressing and still a wide variety of green.  I’d like to see them radiate color before the winter brings snow – if it brings snow.

            I heard that it had started snowing in the mountains earlier than it has in the past.  I don’t know.  I don’t seem to go to the mountains as much as I used to.  And yet I’m so close to them. 

            Weather is peculiar!

Not in January

 

The other day I took

off my hat and gloves

shortly after I boarded

the bus. 

I put them back on just

before I exited the bus. 

At least I thought I did.

I made my way from the

bus stop to

Jenna’s classroom. 

While I waited I once again

removed my hat and gloves –

oops - glove. 

How is it I had only

one glove on.  Why hadn’t

my hand mentioned to me

that it wasn’t covered? 

I looked around the area

where I was standing. 

I must have lost it

somewhere along the way. 

Weird.

So yesterday I kicked the

snow in a few areas where

I could see color. 

No pink glove but a lot

of fall autumn leaves.

                          Most of the trees stand

naked outlined in the snow. 

But there are actually a few with

leaves still clinging to the branches. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen

autumn leaves in January. 

Not real ones. 

And some still had their

crunch even beneath

the soggy snow. 

I find that fascinating!

kfralc

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.

Fall: Beginning of the end

I saw the leaves scurry quickly
across the street when pushed
by the angry wind which has
been howling the last few days. 



It appears that autumn is
nearing its end this year.
But we have been blessed with
warmth and colors and
really awesome weather for the most part.

 

Some trees remain in their
brilliant state of gorgeous color
while others have been stripped naked -
skeletons ready for
the harshness of winter.

 

I hope it's not a harsh winter like
last year.  It was cold.
Always so cold.
Miserably cold.

 

And summer was unbearably hot.
But autumn was awesome.
autumn is awesome.
Let us keep that awesome feel.

 

Mother Nature please
don't strip the trees.
Let them radiate
throughout the year -
without the wind,
without the snow,
without the heat,
without the cold.

Well, it was Awesome While it Lasted

    Another post in

           poetry form.

The first day of

November seemed

 typical of

November.

The wind blew the

way it always has

when it’s bringing

in snow.

But it didn’t bring snow.

The next six days which

followed were

gorgeous - fall

weather, motor cycle

weather, jogging

weather, strolling

weather. Making

people happy.  It

was great!

Now the wind is

back and louder than

before. The

weather man says it

will be bringing in

snow this time.

Can’t complain. 

It’s been an

Indian Summer. 

Gorgeous.  Cold in

the morning.  Sun

beating from the

afternoon sky.

It snowed one

day in October.  It

didn’t stick though.  It

was wet and cold.

But for the

most part the

weather was

awesome!

Awesome in

September, 

awesome in

October, the first

week of November.

Wish it could have

 lasted Forever.  That

would have been

the greatest!

Our First Morning Walk in the Crisp Air

          Other than the political campaigns that take place every year, Fall is, without a doubt, my most favorite season.  I haven’t walked Highness in the morning for over four months now. 

          Unless I’m willing to get up between four and five a.m. it has just been too hot to walk him.  Okay, it wasn’t too hot to take him at 6:00 last month – and I was up.  But I was up with Roland and getting ready to wake Jenna.  Highness was just not a high priority for me.

          I don’t enjoy walking him in my own neighborhood all that much.  For one thing, there just isn’t much in the way of sidewalks – and I’m just not that comfortable walking in the street.  Plus my neighborhood is actually kind of boring.  There’re a few friendly people, but for the most part it doesn’t seem like a very warm environment to be in.  Sometimes I feel like I could pass out in the middle of the street and the only people who would notice would just drive around me and roll their eyes or shake their fists or swear because of the inconvenience.

          I like walking the dog around my daughter’s school.  Several neighborhoods and two parks surround Vantana Elementary.  It’s quite inviting and the people are pleasant.  And there are sidewalks.  The only time we have to be on the road is if we choose to cross it.

          But with the other things going on in my life right now – mainly the hours that seem to be increasing with my mother – walking Highness has been put on the back burner.  Often we’ll go out night between 6:30 and 7:00 – but it is never a long walk.  Poor Highness.

          This morning I had to use the defroster in the car (less than two hours later I was back to the A/C)

          I wore a sweatshirt and wore my hair down.  Before I got home I could feel my heavy hair weighing down on my neck.  Time to tie it back.

          Roland ALWAYS has his covers on.  And I usually don’t have any.  I slept on his side of the bed last night and discovered it really is a lot cooler on his side.  Weird.  It’s not like we have a super king size bed that stretches the whole length of an enormous room.  But there does seem to a difference in temperature. 

          Of course he is closer to the window and the vent (I absolutely DIE when the vent is on) and we still have our A/Cs up – doesn’t get used near as much as they did during the summer.  But there are some days when it still remains on 2-5 hours.  Would be more economical if we could just open the windows or the doors.  Unfortunately the only screen that protects us from the animals (namely insects) that may want to wander in, is in the bathroom just off of Roland’s and my room.  This house could really stand a new makeover.

          Anyway, the walk was certainly a good one.  Both Highness and I found the view and the air refreshing.  I think he actually enjoyed it more than I did – and could have gone for a lot longer.  But I do have other things that needed my attention.