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!