According to John Parris November is:
Valleys drifted with leaves, crisp and rattly in the wind. It’s the hills from Watauga to Cherokee berry-bright and firelight-gay. It’s the friendliness of wind-tossed smoke, stealing from hearth and chimney. It’s the season turning from gold to gray.
I whole heartedly agree with Mr. Parris. Even if you don’t get out in the woods-this time of the year the leaves find their way into and onto your porches, sidewalks, steps-so that everyone can relate to the valley of drifted leaves crisp and rattly. If you’re driving anywhere in western NC this time of the year-simply look out your car window to see those berry bright and firelight colors. And although we haven’t built a fire yet this season-I’ve noticed more than a few chimneys putting out smoke on my way to and fro as the season turns from gold to gray.
Tipper
Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
The other day I was standing on my back porch watching the leaves of my pecan trees fall like rain. I’ve never noticed leaves falling like that before. They are almost bare now, except for the pecans they are being stingy with. LOL
I have always been fascinated by autumn leaves. Growing up in Texas I am used to very very long hot summers and a short fall season. After this last summer of 110 degree days from June-September I am excited that I can open my windows, work in my garden on my fall veggies, and watch some of the leaves change. Last night we got a fire going in our new fire pit on the back patio and roasted marshmallows with the kids. With a chill in the air and the smell of the campfire, it really feels like fall.
Right on! Beautiful words.
How blessed you are to have all those marvelous colors. Here in this part of the world, the incredible heat and drought killed many of our trees and those that remained alive had leaves that just turned brown and fell off. Friends who just returned from North Carolina were raving about the colors appearing like someone had painted them those bright colors. I believe the good Lord provided the means to have those colors and He blessed you this year.
Love your blog and if I can get this to go through, I’ll be a follower..I’m Susie’s Hubby..Love the CD..Thanks a lot..
Tipper: YOUR NOVEMBER VIEWS AND THOUGHTS ARE MIGHTY SOULFUL. This week the Smoky Mountain Hikers from over here in TENNESSEE made it to the Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness Area on an overcast day. But luck was with us as the fog lifted from those magnificent mountains! It could not have been more beautiful!!
Thanks!
Eva Nell
I love John Parris stories I have several books as I tell stories I retell Old Man Connor’s Coffin.One of my favorite ones to tell.I cherish all his books..I wish I had the one on the Cherokee Indians. I even have the cook book they did too..
Tipper,
November is my favorite time of
the year. By then you can truly
feel the changing season. When
the Good Lord made the 4 seasons,
He knew what He was doing. Just
when we think we can’t take it
anymore, relief always comes. The
beginning segment is a ‘fitting’
statement from our own John Parris. Nice tribute!…Ken
Tipper,
Everyone that has been reading Blind Pig for a while knows of Don Casada’s adventures in hiking in the mountains….
I will never think of November again without thinking of his comment…so so funny…I hope he wasn’t hurt too bad..
Now you think this wouldn’t be such a funny thing..but one time I had a similar experience…I didn’t fall, but went to the ground after grabbing a sappling that held a cold, slow moving pack saddle…He was evidently very hacked off that it was getting cold and let me know it..
My hand swelled and hurt like crazy….
Thanks Tipper and Don those old Maple leaves are slick and as you know just take forever to rot in the compost, let alone their mean ground rising roots…LOL
here in the sub tropics, i really missed the wind-tossed smoke, stealing from hearth and chimney. none here. but i think i can smell yours.
November for me is all about anticipation.
Anticipating large family gatherings – the first snow – the first closed school day because of snow. Wondering anxiously if we will have a repeat of the blizzards of 2009.
The anticipation of wondering if the bulbs you put in to fill the empty spots in the garden are going to come up next spring.
November is fallen leaves lying shiny and soft, providing both camoflauge and lubricant atop a slender maple root – just a-waiting for some ignorant hillbilly to step on and pitch him on his backside, knocking both the far and the breath out of him, then starting him on his accelerating way down the steeply pitched hillside toward the welcoming arms and termination point of his travels – the cool, crisp, breath-restoring waters of a fine mountain branch.
Yours truly,
Ignorant hillbilly
I truely feel this time of year is the best. You are going from the hot and muggy days of summer to the crisp and clean days of Autumn when mother nature starts to get rid of the old and slowly prepares to to go to sleep for the winter so it can come alive fin the spring. Even though it appears things are dying such as the leaves but things are coming alive like the wildlife as they search for their winter food.
I could go on but I don’t want to sound long winded. You all get the point.
While we don’t get to use the fireplace, we have had the luxury of having heat in our house. I really enjoy the fall season as well as spring. However, the vivid beauty of mother nature has been abound here in the foothills. The work behind it all is keeping those falling leaves under control.
A very good description indeed. Just when one thinks the leaves are done…the white oaks decide its their time to drop. And, as I sit typing this, we’ve got a good fire going in the old fireplace. It was 19 here this morning. Brrrr…but a good Brrrr. :0)
Just got back from the Smokey Mtns. The view from the top was magnificent. Many of the trees still have their leaves, but enough are bare that you can see sights that are not normally obvious.
Love this as John Parris is one of my favorite authors!
fall is my favorite time of year. i love the leaves tumbling across the road.. and the smells.. and the crunching under your feet… the colors are so beautiful.. especially against the blue skies.. always seems the sky is more blue in fall than any other time.. ahhh to sit on the front swing and look around…
have a great weekend
big ladybug hugs
lynn
Fall reminds me when my grandfather would rock me in front of a large stone fireplace on a mountain farm in Mount Airy, NC.
Good day Tipper
Yes indeed we do get swamped with many a leaves–our cabin sits on the edge of a wooded lot, and of course the leaves just have to blow to the porch not back into the woods—but they are such a beauty to look at that I really don’t mind but then again I am not the one who has to clean the outside and when they get drug inside—Is not that why brooms were made? Have a blessed fall day—LInda Kerlin
Tipper, it is both an exciting and a dreary time of year. It’s like a whole lifetime in a few weeks. From green to all the colors of fire and finally ash gray. At the end of the process the mountains are bare. I love the bare mountains. With the leaves gone you can see the true contour of the mountains. Their majesty stark and strong.
It is interesting that Thanksgiving follows soon after the bareness of the leafless mountains is revealed.
Such a beautiful autumnal photo! It’s a rainy and windy Saturday in November here in Larnaca. As I’m typing this, I look out the window and watch some leaves being blown away by the wind. In autumn, that’s all we get on the southern coast.
I love November, there is something about the cool crisp weather that gets me in the mood to start getting ready for the holidays.