We cranked up the chiminea for the first time this year. After Friday’s first “winter” storm of the year that brought thunder and lightning, and a good blow for a couple of hours there was a definite chill in the air last night. It was getting chilly again tonight so we decided to have our first fire of the year. Since Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings time there’s no difference in sunrise and sunset from yesterday, but it is nice to be only two hours away from my family, friends, and work in the Eastern time zone. You wouldn’t think an hour would make that much of a difference, but it does.

With the moon waxing and clouds scudding ahead of another storm system making its way east from southern California, it feels like a perfect night for poetry. Hard to believe the holiday season will be here in a scant three weeks’ time.

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.

— Elizabeth Coatsworth

Hat tip: egreenway.com