The Changing Seasons – November 2021

November is always a month that fills me with joy. There are several reasons why, the first, is that it is still Fall, the trees are colorful and temperatures cool sometimes even cold and there is a feeling of crispness to the air, it feels clean. It rains falling leaves all month long and even though they leave our deck and driveway constantly covered, I love the feeling of being outdoors as the leaves float through the air around me.

November is also the month that contains Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. I say this in full acknowledgement that this holiday comes with a dark past. Any pleasant shared meal that happened between the pilgrims and Native Americans over an agreement, was later violated in the name of colonization and ended in a violent outcome for the Native Americans. Much of what we’ve been told about this holiday is myth. However, in the current day spirit of what this holiday is about, I choose to focus on the day being all about gratitude, family and friends and coming together. I see it as a remembrance and a celebration of thankfulness.

The final reason I love November so much is that I find it to be a time of reflection. As Winter looms on the horizon with dark nights and cold wet weather coming, I find myself zeroing in on how to spend the daylight hours available before Winter gets here. It is also a time that hasn’t been hit by the busyness and hustle of Christmas. It is a good time to think of the year that is coming to an end and look forward to the one that will soon begin.

As it comes time to recap my month for my Changing Seasons post, I fear that my monthly check-ins are starting to read like a broken record sounds, as I tend to do the same things over and over. I’m not even sorry about it because they are the things I love to do, but I do hope it doesn’t feel like the same old story to my readers.

So…as usual…I rode. I think the particular photos I’ve chosen for this gallery are interesting though because they show you the progression of Fall throughout the month here on the farm. The first shot still shows lots of green with hints of color throughout, then the second shows peak season and as you can see, here at the end of the month, most of the leaves have fallen from the trees and it is starting to look more like Winter than Fall.

I took a spectacular hike with my cousin who flew in from Vegas for a long weekend here in North Carolina. I took her to one of my favorite places and we were not disappointed by the impressive show that Mother Nature was putting on there.

On Thanksgiving morning hubby and I ran a 5k turkey trot. The event was a fundraiser for a local food bank. It was a magical experience. There is something special about coming together with a large group of people gathered for the sole purpose of moving our bodies in the name of gratitude and charity. We both agreed that this needs to become part of our holiday tradition.

This picture was not taken on race day. We scoped out the course 2 weeks ahead of time, which is when I grabbed this shot. On race day, this path was full of runners.

This picture was not taken on race day. We scoped out the course 2 weeks ahead of time, which is when I grabbed this shot. On race day, this path was full of runners.

I topped the month off with a spectacular trip to the mountains. I was fortunate to get to stay with a group of friends in one of those friends’ mountain house. We had a great time hiking, wining and dining. It was the perfect ending to a lovely month.