Welp..........I imagine you'd have a hard time convincing Gandle and Michele winter isn't here yet. LOL. But, it's actually just late autumn. At this time of year, I feel like when you are climbing up a steep hill and at the peak is the solstice and from there on out, it's a downhill slide to spring.

I am working either outside, or in one of the greenhouses through the day, and that means I am acutely aware of how dark it gets now by five p.m. I hate to have my workday cut short by lack of light so I have been keeping tabs on the days until the solstice for a month now. NINE AND COUNTING!

We have finally been blessed with rain, and lots of it lately, so my spring is refreshed and we can stop worrying about water, but that is a mixed blessing to farmers because the harvest isn't in yet.

The wind gusts have been amazing today and there have been precious few birds at the feeders, says my DH. I don't imagine if you are a tiny bird it would be very easy to navigate the cross-winds to search for food. A large Coopers Hawk spent a very long time today in the pecan tree waiting for them to appear. I actually felt sorry for him. I've watched this one grow up. He was just a young bird last season and I don't think his Mama taught him how it works. He used to sit directly under the feeder waiting for them to fly into his mouth. His technique hasn't improved considerably and I don't have high hopes for his contribution to the gene pool.

I don't have the first Christmas present bought yet, and my dreams of black walnut fudge and chocolate buckeyes are just that at this point.........dreams. LOL. The benches in one g'house are filled with poinsettias in full bloom to be delivered this weekend. Praying the electric doesn't fail.

My Christmas tree has been up since the day before Thanksgiving, and still does not have any ornaments on it. At the rate I'm going, maybe I should be dyeing eggs and just get a head-start on Easter?

Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't see the forest (Christmas) for the trees (next year's vegetable garden and blooming daffs).