Walking the neighborhood you still see remnants of fall's two scariest red letter days, Halloween and Election Day: pumpkins left for the birds and squirrels and Obamanos! signs still prominent in several corner yards. (Strangely, no Republican signs have been left on display.)Bags of leaves wait at the curbs for the last pick-up by the City. Squirrel nests sway in the top of the trees. Branches blown down are chopped and loaded for firewood.
A walk through the alleys with my dog Sadie reminds me of my childhood, when that was the preferred route to school and the Muscatine public library.The chrysanthemums bloomed in front of the house late into November. Winter is slow starting, tempting me to believe it is fall, even now, though you can see the snow on the mountains. A few brown leaves are hanging on. The snow predicted for Longmont failed to materialize today, the clouds disappearing with the winds that set the wind chimes in the trees outside my window to clamoring. For the first time we had temperatures in the 20's during daylight hours.
Thanksgiving and harvest decorations have disappeared. As the dark December nights get longer, creeping into the afternoons, the neighborhood is blossoming with lights and Christmas decorations. This lovely wreath on the front door made by my grandson Rylan has given way to a wreath of fresh pine. Christmas is coming, even if it still feels like fall.