Bittersweet November …
A Forest of Warm-Colored Beech Leaves in Snow Reminds Me a Bit of Melted Butterscotch on a Dish of Vanilla Ice Cream …
Looking out my window this morning at first light —snowdrifts sculpting a strange landscape, still dotted with red and gold trees— I find it hard to believe this is November. If you follow this journal from afar and missed news of our snowstorm —I know some of you are reading this on the other side of the globe— a historic, Halloween nor’easter delivered a shocking amount of snow to the east coast on October 29th/30th. I’ve noticed that official snowfall amounts vary, but most of the hill towns in my immediate area —on the Vermont/Massachusetts border— are reporting between twenty inches and two feet. I can’t be counted on for an accurate measure of accumulation, as I spent a sleepless night out in the garden, gently shaking snow from fully leafed trees.
Thankfully, with much round-the-clock effort, I managed to save the four, most-threatened ornamental trees in my garden. What crumpled shrubs I will find beneath the three-foot snowdrifts as temperatures rise, remains to be seen. I dare not think of it. And although I can not deny that Mother Nature has been dealing us a tough hand lately, it is my philosophy to work with her; accepting and looking for beauty in whatever she delivers. This year it seems we will begin the winter season early, with a bittersweet November, and a preview of what is yet to come …
Looking Down the Driveway —October 30th, Mid-Day— After the Storm: Native Oak & Beech Trees Still Holding a Canopy of Bittersweet Leaves
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5 Replies to “Bittersweet November …”
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Your photos are amazing along with your descriptive style of writing!
In the space of a few short weeks the Eastern Seaboard gets major flooding, then 24 inches of snow in October – while in this part of Ontario we’ve been in an extended September and finally had a killing frost just a few days ago.
Wow, do you think the powers that be are beginning to see the light?
Sorry for mixing metaphors, but surely even those who somehow manage to exist entirely in climate-controlled environments can’t block out what’s going on around them forever… can they?
Thanks once again for a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us. Hoping you catch up on your sleep quickly and get some gentle warming to thaw things out. xo D
@ Deb – It does seem as if we are riding a climate roller coaster without seat belts. I hope the precipitation eases up before the long dark days settle in. The January sunlight warms my heart (and my icy fingertips on the shutter button as well). Mostly I worry about the wildlife. Saw birds blowing about in the darkness while out shoveling the other night and chose not to disturb shrubs where they might seek shelter from the storm. I don’t know how they cope with this climate madness. Thank you for your kind thoughts and wishes. xo M
@ Bittersweet – Thank you for your smile-producing words, and for stopping in to say ‘hello’. xo M
I was also out shaking my trees. Would appreciate a follow-up describing which of your shrubs did well under the snow. We had way less of the white stuff up here in Bellows Falls, but most of my shrubs were flattened. I excavated the next morning and was pleased to see that that all the small stuff was intact. Large lilacs lost limbs, but they needed pruning anyway.