Highlight 1: The change of seasons could be no more evident than what we have seen this last week. Autumn colors reached peak; passed peak; and now the leaves are gone. Daily highs have dropped to the mid-forties. The National Weather Service now promises us snow and a wintry mix tonight. The splendor of Autumn was far too short.

Highlight 2: Our featured picture, however, summons hope for the coming season. Our Christmas cactus has been with us since Idaho. Its brave parent plant was a gift to my Mother many years ago in Ohio. It made the trip to Virginia when she passed away. And then, in true pioneering spirit, it crossed plains and deserts to live with us in Idaho. The blossoms of today bring memories of my Mom and remind us that Christmas will soon be here.

Highlight 3: Yesterday, in what will surely become a yearly ritual, old Fuzz Face crawled up the ladder of our RV El Camino Del Monte. With wobbly legs and great fear of impending disaster, he unfurled the new RV cover. One tiny, cleverly hidden tag, was the only way to identify the front end of this monstrous and unwieldy mass of fabric. While foolhardily traversing the roof of the RV in a totally confused and befuddled state, the wind began to build and threatened to turn the RV cover into a parasail and to drag Fuzz Face to some far-flung corner of the county. As one might expect, Mr. Monte watched from the kitchen window with “glee” and “hopeful expectations” written on his face. Unfortunately, for Mr. Monte, old Fuzz Face was uncharacteristically successful and completed the job unharmed.

Weather:  And finally it arrives. These are the words of the National Weather Service for tonight (14-15 November): “Snow, freezing rain, and sleet, mainly after 4am. Low around 28. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.” (For details of Sperryville, VA weather in November 2018 – click here.)

2018-11-08: High/Low -55º/39º

2018-11-09: High/Low – 45º/41º

2018-11-10: High/Low – 45º/28º

2018-11-11: High/Low – 46º/25º

2018-11-12: High/Low – 46º/28º

2018-11-13: High/Low – 45º/37º

2018-11-14: High/Low – 41º/32º

Plantings: Reporting suspended until the first planting of 2019.

Harvest: Reporting suspended until the first harvest of 2019.