wow. found a photo of st. mike's, taken yesterday, and it feels a world away, considering campus is blanketed in snow while we still have the foliage thing going on here (although i'll admit that it's waning). it feels too soon for snow to be covering the ground--although i think that has more to do with the fact that there's nothing even close to it here, except for some chilly weather, than the lack of realization that it's already late november...

late november? when did this happen? they hung up the wreaths at union station yesterday, so they were lit as i headed home from work last night. the poles are covered with lights and decorations at the little shopping center where i do my grocery shopping and a huge christmas tree is in the center of the center commons, decorated with white lights and silver and gold ribbon (which always makes me think of the old claymation rudolph the rednosed reindeer special song "silver & gold...silver & gold...").

it's weather where i bundle up in a sweater and wool peacoat, a soft scarf snug at my neck and thick knitted gloves on my hands, walking down the street with my head slightly bent to attempt to avoid some of the wind while the cold brings some color to my cheeks...weather where i want to wrap my hands around a paper cup filled with steaming hot cider and where i smile as the warmth of my bedroom surrounds me when i get home in the evening.

i love the end of autumn and beginning of winter for these very reasons. the trees still have some color, the leaves still crunch beneath my feet and it's not yet the bitter cold of, say, january. the dread of a long winter season hasn't yet hit, but i can be excited about another change in seasons and marvel at the fact that time has passed so quickly...