This snow that fell three days ago is still with us. Today the temperature remained below freezing again. Ice that forms on the ponds now stays all day. Geese rise from the fields, quickly form their energy efficient wedge and head south. These signs all point to winter. The suddenness of the change is startling. One day before this snowfall I was working in the garden soil. An ice crust would form overnight but by 10 am it softened. Now the ground is frozen solid. A robin was seen here on my last day of garden work. Why it was still here and what happened to it with the change in the weather are not known.
Our monthly electric bill shows the average daily temperature for the past month and the same month one year ago. 44 degrees F for November 09 and 37 degrees F for November 08 appeared on the bill. An average daily temperature difference of 7 degrees F is quite a change. The extra days of warmth sufficient for outside work were pleasant, but now it seems that winter is here. Chrysanthemums need to be covered with coarse mulch now. Their dried stems cut and placed over the new growth will be supplemented with some buckwheat straw. A covering that is light enough to avoid moisture rot, but thick enough to insulate from severe cold is the goal.
The cold temperatures that make for aching hands last longer in the morning and return more quickly in the afternoon. By 4:30 it is nearly dark and still the days are getting shorter. But a few gardening hours in the middle of the day are better than nothing.
