November's Disappearance

Daylight savings time is now the first Sunday in November - should be no big deal since it only advanced one week from when it used to be the last Sunday in October. But it seemed that overnight the morning was still in darkness, and I was taking the dogs out using my flashlight. It also seemed that the evenings were growing shorter - in just a day's time - and thus it was then that the Barn winterization began a little earlier, and the projects that lay waiting the "next step" began to get stored up for the cold that was encroaching on the horizon.  And  then the c-c-c-o-o-l-d descended upon us.

In one brisk gust of wind, Halloween night blew in with temperatures dropping into the 20's; hammering rains, and impending SNOW.  Yes, snow for Halloween !  

So you ask, I assume, what does this all have to do with November !   Well, my apologies to you dear faithful antiquated reader - because for the first time in several years, we were unprepared for the rapid change of weather. The Barn was in a disarray for what seemed like the whole month of November.  We scurried to move the paint and varnishes to warmer locations. Soiled rags were sent to the bonfire because they had frozen stiff and were beyond cleaning.  The whole scene looked like a morgue of dismembered wooden legs (table legs that is) and droplets of cherry stain could have easily been mistaken for a  late October  All Hallows Eve Vampiric visit.

Thus, November disappeared between two turns of the calendar page - October and December.  Thank goodness the harvest decorations that adorned the walkway leading up to the Barn sufficed through the month, that is, until the deer started nibbling on our pumpkins - yep - right up to the Barn doors they came, apparently also caught off guard by the rapid temperature drops and approaching hunting season.

As I write this post, the antiques are all covered. Disassembled pieces have been numbered and stored. Tools have been oiled and shuttered. Supplies shelved and wood shavings swept into the burn bin. All is quiet and still.

And yet, I still wonder - where did November disappear to?  Perhaps it knew before we did to hunker down and ready itself for a long winters nap.