Hello November, Hello.... Winter??

I do love me a gorgeous Autumn. My favorite color is October.

 November rolls around and we think we are just getting into the depths of fall.

The colors have exploded during the month of October and by November have all but exhausted themselves.

 The piles of leaves lining the roadsides and yards proved a thick carpet of colors while the trees are almost bare.

 The sun, while not as hot as it was in August, shines brilliantly. You soak up every minute, relishing these halcyon days of Autumn.  

And just when you think Indian Summer will last forever, it snows. 

It snows?? Yes. It snows. Probably one of the earliest I can recall. It sure looks pretty. But I will miss those perfect Autumn days.

in the middle of the night

when insomnia strikes....

sometimes I blame it on the moon. I find the insomnia hits me hardest when the moon is full. It's in sliver mode right now so I have to cast around for something else. I'll go with over stimulation and the need to unwind before I can fall asleep, but it's not working so great. It was a terrific day-- and I mean TERRIFIC!

My sweetie and I went snowshoeing. We feasted our eyes on phenomenal views, we sloughed through the snow, uphill and down, burning a ton of calories as we worked those muscles and I came home tired!! But we had company coming for dinner so napping was out of the question (and I'm a rotten napper anyway)

We had a wonderful time with our company, laughing and sharing. Then everyone went home and Bruce headed to bed and I tried... but my brain wouldn't shut off. So here I sit at 2am knowing that when the alarm goes off in 5 hours I will feel like I was robbed of some much needed sleep.

sometimes I wonder if the reason I'm awake is so I can pray. So, then I think, I should try that... and I can't keep on track. It's kind of like snowshoeing, really. I used trekking poles to help me stay balanced and it gives a little extra oopmf when climbing uphill and a little extra whoa when heading down. I wanted to keep my eyes on my glorious surroundings but I needed to also keep my eyes on the trail, to be wise to the rise and fall of the snowline. I remarked to Bruce that I felt frustrated by the need to look down at where I was walking, when what I really wanted was to look around at where I was!

How is that like prayer, you ask?
Well... I have this tendency, like I said, to not stay on track when I am praying. I go strong for a few minutes and then I want to look around in my mind for other concerns... which leads me to new thoughts and those thoughts connect to other thoughts and then I remember something else and pretty soon I'm not watching where I'm walking and I lose my balance and think I am going to fall and I realize I'm not praying and I'm not enjoying the scenery either.

This is the kind of rambling my brain does at 2 in the morning.

Still, it was an amazing beautiful day and a great way to kick start a brand new month. Sleep will come eventually. And even a few moments in prayer are better than none at all.

Amen.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

Our first serious snowfall of the season, and on the day before winter solstice at that. Christmas Caroling is on the weekend agenda so the timing seems twice as perfect. Except... what is that I hear? The unmistakable sounds of RAIN spattering against the window. Darn. I knew it was too good to be true!

Still, I got my Christmas Spirit on today! Pretty lacy lights now adorn the ridge of the house. The Nativity set is prominently displayed on top of the piano. Christmas music has been playing softly in the background. We won't be doing a tree this year but I have out some of my special ornaments. The house feels Christmasy.

untangling of the lights: operation Christmas has officially begun!

yay!! first time in a few years that we've gotten our lights up before Christmas-- if at all, lol

some fun animations!

our street, slicker than u-no-what!!

the hills above our town.

watching the snow fall is mesmerizing. 

some of my favorite Christmas ornaments

we have finally found a good use for our piano (sadly no one in our house plays... )

YES!! JOY!!!

Yes, I've got my Christmas Spirit on! How about you?

Fresh

there's something about freshness, be it a crisp fresh piece of paper, a fresh aromatic cup of good coffee, a fresh clean t-shirt, the fresh smell of pine, jasmine, or vanilla. Just the word "fresh" is perfect for the images and sounds it conjures up. And with a fresh new season approaching it was time for a fresh look here on the blog.

We had our first snow Monday! I was snuggled deep under the covers, hanging on to every drop of sleep and warmth when my husband whispered into the tangled mess of my hair  "It snowed". I am like a kid about snowfall... as long as I no longer have to drive school bus in it! I sipped my coffee, tucked into in my robe and slippers and watched those mesmerizing flakes furiously swirling down for the time it lasted.

Which wasn't very long and by the time I'd layered up to walk, it was turning to rain. Ah, but it was so pretty while it lasted.

So, welcome Winter.....  what??? I know, I know, it's still Autumn technically and you know me!! I hate it when we RUSH the seasons. But something happens in my brain when December rolls around. It's my birthday month, for one thing and being a December baby (brat that I am) this month makes me feel a little territorial. Those of us who share this month with Christmas know what I'm talking about. And no matter what age I turn, every birthday deserves a fresh approach!

Christmas Prelude

I have had a successful day of packing, shopping, packing, praying and packing. I have earned the right to SIT and play with PicMonkey so that I might share with you the fabulous funnery of our weekend away to our favorite snow covered camp. We had a great time with our small group, playing in the snow, eating great food, singing Christmas Carols, touring the town of Leavenworth and building memories to last a lifetime. It was crazy timing but it was also crazy fun. We're glad we went!!

lots and lots of snow on the pass, in Leavenworth and at Tall Timber!

we toured the town of Leavenworth, taking in the sights, the crowds, the craziness!

over the river and through the woods, the love-burkes must go!

we took a scenic walk through the riverside park

accompanied by our friends Chris and Debi, it was a beautiful afternoon.

Icicle Canyon and Blackbird Island, some of the jewels of Leavenworth 

the Christmas Lighting event of Leavenworth was pretty overwhelming!

river views

random fun with our small group

some favorite views at Tall Timber Ranch

We arrived Friday evening, with a stop for supper at the 59er Diner, always a great place to dine! Saturday we spent most of it in Leavenworth, splitting up and going our own ways for the afternoon, hooking up again for dinner at a Mexican Cafe, then we huddled together as the countdown began to the turning on of all the city Christmas lights. Sunday we enjoyed the famous Tall Timber Brunch, then some of the braver ones took to the tubing hill or snowshoed till it was time to clean up, pack up and head up the hill and home.

Aaaaah.

More Coffee Please!

She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household.... Proverbs 31.15

"Getting up early is for the birds" was a saying near and dear to my heart, until I realize I was named after one. Such irony! 

Seriously, getting back into the groove of rising early to prepare breakfast, pack his lunch and make sure he has all his 'stuff' before he heads out the door, isn't a hardship but a joy after the long break we've had. It's only day two so we're still kinda giddy about the whole thing. 

He came home yesterday smiling despite being wet, tired and... limping??? Um, yah.... While reaching for a nail gun, by the air hose to which it is attached, the nail gun discharged and lodged a nail into his knee!

Fortunately, he was wearing double knee pants, the nail didn't go deep and he was able to attend to it right away with first aid. The defective gun was immediately retired and an incident report was filed. This morning he is moving slowly and stiffly in that leg so am praying for fast healing and no lasting impairment!

Aside from the nail gun incident, he enjoyed the first day and is looking forward to absorbing more of the work environment and finding his place there. 

Meanwhile, we woke to a blanket of white on the ground which was a little confusing at first glance considering how much rain I listened to last night as I was waiting for sleep to claim me. The Lion of March is letting out his final roar. I'd say this weather is for the birds but that would be more irony than I can stand this early in the morning.

A Walk Around Town in the Snow

we found some excellent photo opp's as we walked around our little town yesterday. Our neighbor across the highway in particular has some spectacular views to offer! Enjoy.

taken from the highway looking southwest into Deming

Deming Church in background

taking the back way to our neighbors across the highway

I love the look of black and white when photographing snow scenes.

neighbors yard/pond

postcard perfect!

powered donuts!

driveway

looking south to the highway