Buckling down, settling in

I was looking outside and realized how perfectly the weather suits the day, which isn't rare exactly, just not a given. It's like snow falling on Christmas, a warm breeze on Easter or a bright, hot sun on the 4th of July, when the day just fits. My first Vermont Halloween has heavy, gray clouds hovering over the mountains and a wind that is actually whistling through the trees that have only those very few leaves hanging on before baring for the winter. It's one of those days that you just want to hunker down in your house with a good book, but maybe keep your curtains open so you can watch the trees bend and sway. It's also the kind of day that reminds you of what's around the corner, weather wise. For a few weeks I've noticed the preperation people are putting into getting ready for the coming winter, you know, the people's equivalent of squirrels burying their nuts. If you pay attention you can almost always hear the sound of axes hitting wood, as well as notice the chords of wood getting taller and longer by the day. The scent of a woodfire is always faintly riding every gust of wind and everyday you see more and more cars with the snow tires on and ready for the first snowfall. Even though I showed up mid-winter, and dealt with the coldest of cold temperatures, I have been told that it's the month of December that can make or break a person and truly seperates the natives from the wannabes. Apparently the sun all but disappears for the month and you can feel as though you are being buried in the snow as it rises around you. Well I am determined to not be shamefully cast as a wannabe and to maintain my sanity during a full New England winter, so I will also settle in and buckle down for the winter and keep plenty of entertainment on hand. Wish me luck!

Here it comes

October 13, that's the day I woke up and there was snow outside. It was also cold, only making it into the 30s. Apparently this is not an abberation, because today was also cold and tonight the temp will dip into the 20s. May I say again, it's OCTOBER. So the brightside to this situation is that it probably means that the traffic that has been completely outrageous the past two weeks will start to die along with the leaves on the trees. You see, sometimes towards the end of summer Yankee magazine printed that route 100 through Vermont was the best drive to see the infamous New England foliage. This may be true, I would be a pretty good judge since I drive on route 100 everyday, and live maybe a mile off of it. For the past two weeks this has meant my usually clear and enjoyable ride on country roads has been disrupted by a large number of people out driving and checking out the leaves. I will say, despite the annoying traffic, that I can't blame them. The colors that show up in this part of the country are a sight to behold. I was driving to Maine a couple weeks ago on a gorgeous bright sunny day, the sky was blue and a welcome contrast to what could only be described as fire in the forest. You know when you walk into an old church and you see these stunning stain glass windows. The detail and colors are amazing and you wonder at the person who put it together. Then the sun hits it and lights all the colors up and leaves you a little breathless. I say New England foliage is a little bit like that. I have spent my life loving the beautiful colors that come in every fall in Ohio, but in comparison it's like God took a light bulb and screwed it in underneath the forests of the Northeast. The reds are deeper, the oranges brighter and the yellows pull it all together, it is a genuine masterpiece. I tried to take some pictures, but was always unhappy with the result because it doesn't even begin to live up to reality. So while I'm bummed that the winter is getting ready to start up already, I feel it was probably a worthy exchange for a glimpse of God's true work.