November in the Pacific Northwest is always "interesting" when it comes to weather. We get a lot of rain, a lot of high winds and the mountain passes start receiving their first snows. We even get it down here in the lowlands on occasion. This year has been no exception. Yesterday, we had a nice break in the weather and I took advantage of it to do a little much needed yard work. I still had not put away my furniture cushions or "winterized" my outside, so I proceeded to gather up the chairs that had already blown into the yard, as well as a few flower pots. The cushions needed to all dry out, and since it was quite windy yesterday, I laid them out on the deck before storing them away for the winter.I still have Geraniums blooming, as well as a few of my trailing flowers. So I cleaned them out to enjoy for maybe a few more weeks. As I walked around the yard, I looked at the bare trees and the empty pots and the leaf covered grass, and I recalled a post on here from this past summer. I remembered saying how I needed to get out and enjoy the flowers and the greens in the trees and the bushes and the grass....for it would all be gone in a flash. So I decided to take a few pictures to show Mother Nature at her best and at her not-so-best!
This was taken back in August. The trees were bursting with the greenest of leaves, while the nicely cut grass was a haven to Trixie. My pots were overfilled with impatiens and the hydrangea were just beginning to bloom.
That has all given way to bare branches (I am so thankful for our evergreens), and a wet and soggy, leaf covered lawn. The impatiens now lie in my compost bin and the pots are bare for the winter.
This large planter was bursting with color from my peppermint geraniums. The tree (though you can't see it here) was filled with leaves.
And now, a hint of color remains among the geraniums...to enjoy during our Thanksgiving dinner. The tree, now bare and the hummingbird feeder that hung from the tree and so entertained this past summer, is now tucked safely away for the winter.
And finally...the beautiful box of petunias that graced my kitchen window.
Now, only a memory....!
Yes, this is Mother Nature and all her glory...hard at work. Doing exactly what she is supposed to. It's a bit sad, but it IS the changing of the seasons. And I feel so fortunate to live in an area that sees those beautiful changes. For as quickly as the summer left us, and as quickly as the autumn air is turning to winter...that is how fast spring will arrive.
And now, I must say goodbye to outdoor barbecues, to evening dinners on the deck, to the beauty of color among the flowers and the trees...but only for a few months. Mother Nature has a way of not letting us get too bored with our surroundings. For just when we feel we've had all the heat and humidity we can take, and just when we think we can't live with another day of no sunshine, or when that beautiful fallen snow has become a dirty gray slush...it'll all change in an instant! Isn't it great!! ~~Annie
