The yellow glow of November

November, the month of gratitude and of giving thanks, of the calm before the storm of the Christmas season, of early sunsets and long dark nights...a time for rest.  It came so fast this year.  But it came right when I needed it most.

Honestly this year, especially this last month, has been a blur.  Since the last week of September,  I have been running- work, travel, family commitments, and other commitments. Just finding time to get out for hikes with the girls and to find moments of peace has been a struggle.

I know we had some fun moments in there, but basically from the time I got home from my short UP vacation in mid-October, we've been in constant motion.  And it finally caught up with me this week.

I was exhausted after my week of work travel immediately followed by a busy weekend with my dad's burial Saturday and then a late night going to the Glen Lore Trails for their final night of the Halloween season with Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona on Sunday.  I got home late, so I woke up for work Monday feeling tired and with a little bit of a scratchy throat.  I feared that I may be getting sick, but tried to stay positive. 

After my long Monday of meetings, I just wanted to stay home and rest, but I knew the girls needed a walk, and so off we went to Frances Park.  Once I was there, I was glad I had made the effort to take our evening walk here because the Oak trees were stunning with their dark maroons, golds, and browns, and the lovely yellows of so many other trees made the woods glow just before sunset.  It was beautiful.

Our walk along the river was just as beautiful.  And since this park isn't far from home,  we were able to make the most of the limited time we had before the sunset and the darkness arrived.

After our walk, I made a trip to the grocery store to restock my fridge and cabinets which were looking pretty bare.  Then we headed home for dinner and some rest.  The girls have been really snuggly this week, which is totally out of character for them.  It's been nice.

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I felt more sick and even more exhausted.  It was hard to get through my day of work.  I was just so tired. 

After work, I couldn't bring myself to do anything.  The girls were restless,  but Mina could tell I wasn't feeling well and tried her best to make me feel better by standing on me and giving me kisses.  I appreciated the effort even though it didn't help.

Wednesday I was feeling even worse, and I knew I needed to take a sick day from work.  I slept a lot.  I could tell that I needed the rest.  The girls filled their day with brain games for their meals and some extra fun chews to keep them busy as well.as some time outside enjoying the mild fall weather.  I was thankful that they were so good and I could get some sleep.  I still can't believe how much I slept.

I woke up Thursday feeling like a new person-still a little tired, but feeling much better.  I guess the orange juice and Zinc plus all of that rest I got really worked.  I couldn't believe how much better I had gotten so quickly.

On my lunch, I got outside to mow my yard.  It really needed to be done and with the early sunsets I just dont have time to do it after work.and my weekends have been too busy.  The girls hung out in the yard while I mowed.  It was a beautiful fall day.

Then, after finishing my work day, we made a quick trip to Soldan Dog Park.  We haven't been here in forever and it was good to get back.  Even if it was only for about 30 minutes at sunset. 

Mina loved playing ball while Peaches just loved all of the smells of fall.  It was a great way for us all to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying the beauty of the November woods bathed in yellow.

We ran a couple of errands on our way home and then had a quiet evening.  

Friday, the girls both had appointments at the vet.  Peaches was due for her second Liberela injection and Mina had a small growth that we had Dr. Jason remove with cryotherapy.   They were so silly when I tried to weigh them because as soon as I grabbed some treats, they both quickly sat on the scale together.  They know the routine pretty well.  That is just over 104 lbs of adorable right there.

Their appointments went well and they were happy to see their friends at Patterson.   They are always very popular there.

After what seemed like another long week, I was happy that it was Friday.  With the forecast calling for colder temperatures and snow in the next few days, I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful 56 degree day to get in some miles on the NCT.  So I finished my work for the day and headed to Albion to see how far we could get before sunset.

We kept up a pretty steady pace, and with the exception of a few poop stops and a chance for Peaches to roll in the grass, we kept moving.  It was such a nice day, and I was really glad I'd made the decision to get out for a hike.

We finished with 2.6 miles for the day 10 minutes before sunset.  I was pretty happy with that since it allowed us to make most of our drive home while it was still mostly light out and it leaves us with just 5.3 miles to go to finish our 100 miles this year. A couple of months ago, I wasn't sure we were going to make it, but some determination and a lot of hiking has gotten us almost there.  The.girls had had a busy day which made for a very quiet evening at home.  

Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, I was able to finish a few loads of laundry and the dishes as well as doing some other cleaning and organizing around the house. That felt good too.

I fed the girls an early lunch Saturday before we headed out to Preuss Pets where we would be hosting a geocaching event.  

This year geocaching celebrates its 25th year and a select group of geocachers were given the opportunity to host community events to bring the celebration to life.  I was one of those lucky geocachers, and I was excited to plan a fun, dog-friendly event.  I was grateful that Preuss Pets allowed me to use their classroom free of charge for the event.  

We had several people attend and even a couple of dogs.  It was a fun time with cider and doughnuts, treats for the pups, a few fun give aways, and lots of good conversation.  Plus there were several new geocaches I had placed for the event.  Everyone had a good time and the girls were spoiled rotten.  It was a great event.

After the event was over, I took the girls for a nice walk around Old Town.   There is still some pretty color along the river and the temperatures were chilly, but comfortable. 

It had been a really nice afternoon and we headed home all very happy with our day. 

I did a few more chores around the house when we got home with Peaches and Mina always close by wondering there would be more fun.  Then I finally sat down for a bit, and when I did, the girls settled in for a nice nap.  

Before dinner, I ran a couple of quick errands.  With snow in the forecast overnight and into Sunday morning,  I wanted to be done with all of my errands so we could just stay home and not have to deal with going out into the weather.  It's always better to stay home for the first snow of the year.

A few weeks ago, I had pulled all of my tomato plants out of the garden.  I had placed all of the green Roma tomatoes in a big in the basement and had left the whole pear tomato plant in my garage to allow the tomatoes to ripen.  This evening before dinner I was able to pull several ripe romas out of the bag and to pick several pear tomatoes.   I've now pulled all of the remaining green pear tomatoes and put them in the bag to ripen with the  few romas that remain.  This little haul of tomatoes made me really happy.  I would have had some broccoli too, if Mina hadn't gotten to it first.  I love that my garden is still giving me fresh deliciousness in November. 

I ended my Saturday with a call from Fiona who spent 30 minutes talking to me while also running around the house playing.  It made my whole day. She's pictured above with their neighborhood turkey, who she has affectionately named Pickles, very close by.  I can't believe he got that close!

The girls were up early this morning for a potty break and breakfast, but quickly headed back to bed to sleep in today.

It was dark when they went out then, but we got our first glimpse of our first snow of the season then.  I think they know it's a good day to just stay snuggled up inside.

It is officially the season when Peaches blends into the landscape.

And the first snow I've experienced without my Williow tree.   The backyard just looks so empty without it.

I always love the peaceful feeling I get after the first snow of the season.  But I know this snow won't be here long.  We still have lots of leaves on the trees and the ground is just too warm, proving that fall isn't over yet. 

I love the contrast of the glow of fall with the freshness of the new snow.  I also love how days like this make me feel like slowing down, hunkering down, and snuggling up with the girls.  

Our Sunday will be spent quietly at home.  I will do a little cleaning and meal prep, spend some time playing with the girls, and just spend some time enjoying the down time.  It feels great to have a whole day with no commitments and I'm going to take full advantage of it!  Hopefully the girls cooperate!