early winter
The first snowfall of the year yesterday afternoon was over too soon for me to think of taking a picture—we had other things going on—and for Harvey to suffer too much disappointment about not having a new snowsuit yet (our tryouts the other day revealed that the one he wore last year, already tight at the end of the winter, is now a complete impossibility). Not that we needed any special gear for a five-minute snow squall, but we like to do things right around here.
Besides the snow—a signifier if nothing else—it's been pretty cold the last few days. Our first frost was a hard freeze, and last night it was below freezing before bedtime. As balmy as it's been lately I was taken a bit by surprise; I got the potted pepper plants inside (to Leah's dismay and everyone's inconvenience) but there were several squashes that I hadn't bothered to pick yet, and a couple of them suffered damage that will dramatically shorten their storage life. Oh well, we go through squash pretty quick... just put em on the top of the pile! For a non agricultural reference point, we had windows open until two days ago, and it was a bit of a scramble to get the air-conditioner out and the storm windows closed.
As much as most of us are looking forward to real winter weather, there is one thing we'll miss. With the dry fall the bug population has been minimal, and most days the door to the side porch has been wide open a good bit of the time. Our house is much bigger when the porch and yard feel like part of it. Not that the cold weather is stopping us from playing outside—the convenience of moving between inside and out without shoes has just been replaced by the excitement of hats and mittens and, soon, that new snowsuit.