That November Feeling…

Up in the mountains, a late summer early autumn feeling held on for a long time. The days were warm and nights cool, enough that roses felt brave enough to return.

And then, in one fell swoop pink fluffy clouds brought buckets of rain.

More rain than I had seen in a very long time.

Days of rain that would make the garden absolutely overjoyed.

I sprinkled my poppy seeds for next spring, prepared just in time for the storms.

Hail pulled acorns and leaves off of trees, but I knew it was also pushing seeds into the ground.

The weather made it perfect for the options that were floating in my mind to make a decision.

It was time to take a few days to just be.

And so, I made banana gingerbread, which happened to be vegan and was quite lovely.

(recipe)

I got the fireplace going for the season.

This was the light (below) in the garden the day before the storms came.

Little did I know at the time that it was the final farewell to summer of 2025 that had been lingering.

How I find myself getting sentimental about time these days.

The gigantic Pearly Gates roses bobbed in the breeze.

As if to say, I’ll see you again in early spring.

The Sulphur Cosmos held on through the rain, towering at about 14 feet tall.

We got all cozy and finished our Halloween puzzle which was very difficult.

I made pieces to paint in for pieces that were missing.

We made chili and apple crisps and watched mysteries and played instruments.

The rain gave us permission to relax the mind and body.

More importantly, the soul, which needs a bit more of that than we allow.

And then, when the last drop left this morning after days of storms, we went out into the garden to see what had happened, if anything.

Through the garden gate, I ventured out into the rest of the property as pups waited for me.

Poppy sat with her nose in the air, just sniffing the after-rain breeze.

Teddy and little Poppy, my loyal sidekicks.

The garden was full, happy and so green.

It was clear that the season had shifted once again.

The light had most certainly changed.

Books and tea were on the menu in spades.

Leaves were falling outside, the ground was squishy with rainwater.

Another shift on the horizon.

A few tomatoes held on and the zinnias had gone.

The pups were ecstatic with the scents in the garden brought on by the wet earth.

They loved every second of it, with Poppy always instigating play-time.

I loved it too.

You wait so long for cool days and then when they come it happens in one big shift.

You almost forget how stunning the high desert is from November to Late May.

I really needed a little break.

As my dad used to say, sometimes I wish I could take off my head so I could get a rest from my brain.

I come from a long line of people who are always doing things and can’t stop or they feel unproductive.

I’m trying to break that spell.

There is no better luxury than reading a book (or doing any other relaxing task) without a care in the world.

Such perfect time to rest and reflect right before Thanksgiving week.

I made the most delicious pumpkin soup about two weeks ago from our own fairytale pumpkin.

I will roast another for my pumpkin pies.

I love to feel calm and reflective during this week.

I have taken to listening to audiobooks when I am cooking or doing certain tasks around the house.

I have listened to sooo many audiobooks in 2025.

One of my favorites was Ina Garten’s.

I loved it so much that I listened to it twice several months apart.

She reads it herself and it’s absolutely wonderful.

Right now I am listening to Julia Child’s as read by her niece, and Priscilla Presley’s read by herself.

I am definitely a non-fiction lover, unless it is a fairy tale or mystery of some sort.

I do love bios and memoirs, how about yourself?

I have been working on some clay pieces and a couple of paintings as well.

It’s the season of frenzy, and I’m trying at all costs to not get swept up in the frenzy.

Frenzy is the last thing I want on my plate.

I’m looking for more of a cozy tea-time rest your mind and have a good time sort of season.

Let’s see if I can pull it off.

Well, I am off to roast a giant pumpkin so it’ll have a couple of days to rest and release water (fresh pumpkins have a ton of water in them) so that I can use them for my pies.

I hope you are doing more than well out there in your neck of the woods.

All my very best!

Love, Vanessa