I used to hate winters in Alberta, but here on Vancouver Island we have this gradual progression to our "winter" which involves more rain and everything gets really green. There is no more mowing of the lawn though as it just goes into a type or dormancy without growth - still alive but waiting for the sunshine to start growing again. We can put up Christmas lights on the exterior of our home without freezing to death in November. Around the end of December we usually get one or two snowfalls but none last year at all. When it snows here everyone stays home. Kids build snowmen and have snowball fights. Businesses shut down and everyone enjoys their snow days, primarily because a lot of people here do not have driving skills to navigate in winter conditions. People don't shovel their walks here when it snows, they just wait for it to melt (except us ex-Albertans, hubby can't stand snow on our walk). We can go for wet winter walks, especially now that we have Buddy and actually get some fresh air. We bought him a little lined rain coat so he can go without getting too cold. I rarely got much fresh air in winter in Alberta as it was far too cold to spend any time outside. The outside time was limited to running to and from the car at work and brushing the snow off your car.
There are farmers markets and craft fairs everywhere selling things like local chestnuts, cranberries and grapevine wreaths. We can just look in the forest and find holly to decorate the house. A lot of people find November dreary, but not here on my little piece of paradise. I find November magical.
I just have to get through this weekend without the dog going crazy every 10 minutes as trick or treaters ring the doorbell on Saturday night. If you live in certain parts of North America - don't forget to set your clocks back an hour on Sunday. Happy Halloween!
You know how to live life out beautifully! I have always liked November myself when living in the midwest as I treasured and relished every warm sunny day left before mighty winter took over.
ReplyDeleteWe get lovely summers and I have withstood many a bitterly cold winter in Alberta before moving here so we have nothing to complain about when it rains a lot in the winter.
DeleteI think you are blessed to live on Vancouver Island, it has so many delightful aspects you mention. Also, I agree, candles are a plus in autumn and at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love living here, so grateful that hubby agreed to move to somewhere I have always wanted to live.
DeleteVancouver Island has been on my places to visit for years, so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNovember isn't picturesque here, the trees are bare! The charity shops were full of second hand Xmas stuff today. xxx
Our trees are pretty bare now too as the wind has taken the last of the leaves. We have Remembrance Day for honoring the military on November 11th and since we live in such a Military town with an Army base they get hostile around here if you sell/decorate Christmas before November 12th. That is why November 12th is such a great thrifting day for Vintage Christmas.
DeleteUgh...winter. I never disliked winter when I lived in the UK,but here I truly dread it. We can't use candles as the cats can reach anywhere I put them...so I look forward to all the fairy lights at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Not that I've been to the UK but based on all the ex-UKers that live here I understand we have a winter very similar. I love the fairy lights too - might put a strand in the bedroom this weekend to get things rolling.
DeleteIt sounds fantastic! I love fall, but with the switch to a very retail focused job, I'm not loving the pressure & time commits at the end of the year. It makes it too challenging to enjoy the seasons. I'm not on call for Christmas this year (last year was miserable), but I am on call for basically all of the other holidays & surrounding evenings, weekends, etc. But, let this be the last of that time in my life. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou will be so glad when you are able to quit that job - it does seem to take up a huge amount of your life.
DeleteIt sounds lovely! Enjoy the fall and early winter. We never know what kind of day we will have until we wake. It might be a shorts and flip flop day or it might be sweater weather, or we might have a day that starts one way and ends the other.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween to you also.
We have a really long summer but definitely get a winter season which is really really wet. Things look green though after our drought which is so nice as we couldn't water lawns all summer so everyone's lawns were brown.
DeleteI like November, and winter in general, because it is milder here. But I miss the long days of sunshine. Not just for the warmth, but because you could do so much more outdoors in the evenings. - Margy
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is hard when it is dark every day at 5pm. I hate driving at night in the dark, especially with all the deer we have here.
DeleteAh! We must be kindred spirits! I feel the very same way about November! Here in Texas it is finally starting to feel like fall! As a matter of fact - I have the attic fan on right now as I write and the doors open! No freezing temps in sight!
ReplyDeleteIt has started to get chilly here, almost felt so cold last night it could have snowed! This morning it is much warmer though. Due to how much moisture there is in the air near the Ocean even temperatures above freezing seem much colder than it really is.
DeleteIt's true what Anne in the kitchen said. The weather down south can change at any moment. It can start out cold and end up hot or vice versa. I've been looking for white pillar candles to put in my fireplace, but everywhere I look, there are just the new LED flameless candles. It seems wax candles are going out of style and the ones I do find are kind of expensive. I'm hoping to score some at a garage sale.
ReplyDeleteI have been lucky finding them at Marshall's ( and their affiliate stores) and IKEA ( if you have one nearby)
DeleteI agree - IKEA (we had one in Edmonton) had really inexpensive tea lights I used to buy in a huge bag.
DeleteLove this post. You make me want to be at your place in November. Enjoy. Good luck with Buddy and the kids at the door.
ReplyDeleteThanks - he survived well although was extremely exhausted by the end of the night. He definitely is not keen on Elsa and Dracula.
DeleteAnd there's all that holiday baking!
ReplyDeleteOne of my very favorite parts!
DeleteVery pleasant post. I could picture it all.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteWell this has never happened to me before, you made me look forward to November and all that it has to offer. I'm a summer girl, what can I say. But you really did make a strong case for it. Hmmmm, maybe you should be a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteI like summer too but it was really long and really hot and something can be said for hot buttered rums :)
DeleteI just got my crockpot out yesterday and made our first pot of chili :) We are having a nice week of weather so I've been putting miles on my bike. I enjoy this time of year too, I love the feeling of being cozy inside. Of course we experience way more snow and cold temps than you do out there in the Canadian tropics :) but for me that just adds to the coziness of being inside. And since I'm retired I don't have to be outside at 6am scraping off the truck! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI don't miss scraping cars off either - the move certainly eliminated that from my life. I think I have scraped frost off my window once here - that's it!
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