fair

 sugar maples are turning, 

and so are so many others: 

popple, red maples (showing off, for sure)

sumac and virginia creeper.

rich grape and cider wine smells, too.

 a bit of longridge indigo STILL on my right thumb

 and then i met frieda.

 and her man mark

 who talked about falconry,

but really about animal behavior and biology

 and this royal one, a barn owl

 who has ears

that work by means of feathers 

(and a whole lot else)

 looking over her shoulder.

at 

paul smith's VIC

old time skills festival

saturday

 we brought home three lovely goat cheeses

from asgaard farm.

riches.

black and nothing

black friday is not in my world, for years i've avoided shopping and was pleased a couple years back when ian emailed me about buy nothing day. friday is recovery from feasting, pumpkin pie for breakfast, and enjoying time at the worktable. talking with kathy and carol. oh, and tea.

reflection on the supper we had, marc, leah, hannah and i. squash; potatoes both local and organic; chicken, heritage, local and organic from bittersweet farm. broccoli, good greens. pear pie, pumpkin, too. and maple walnut cake, syrup from camp oswegatchie. vermont farm cheeses, wine. good conversation, several toasts, four dogs: wendy, lina, gwen, and tess the puppy.

i love november, and march, the times between seasons, when the land shows her bones, when weather is changeable, and contemplation is appropriate. certain things are annoying, the mouse trapline, newly iced roads, cold fingers. soon the snow comes, it often is already here, but not this year.