Colorado has enjoyed a warm and beautiful fall, but yesterday somehow it turned into gray, cold, wet November. Yesterday the trees were rattling their knucklebones, and the leaves on the ground are turning brown and black. The few leaves on the trees drop spontaneously, not waiting for the wind, and the trees hanging on look scraggly at best. The exception is one oak tree that waited to turn and is now golden brown. It's gorgeous in contrast to its companions, especially with the morning sun giving it a special fleeting luster.
With the leaves gone, more things are visible from a distance--more views of the mountains, the path around the lake, and to my surprise a little bird house on a shedding pine tree in front of the clubhouse. Reminds me of the song by There Might Be Giants, "Put a Little Birdhouse in Your Heart."
Lynda is picking me up for church tonight. I packed a couple boxes of nativity scenes of varying sizes for the Sunday school classrooms. I knew a couple who collected creches from around the world, their house was full of them year round. I never got that crazy, but four sets is still too many.
Off to church. I'm taking a hot pot of green beans with mushrooms, almonds and onions. Didn't think to stick in any bacon--cutting it too close to fry up a mess now. I'm glad not to carry the crock pot all the way to the church and back--it was tricky with the deviled eggs. The crock potdoesn't fit in my backpack or my rolly suitcase. The weather is expected to get even colder and wetter tonight, maybe snow. The Accessa-Ride buses were too full to schedule a ride today--nobody wants to be out walking in the dark any more. Ah, summer nights, we shall not see thee soon.