Koyote Hill: November: the Month of Thanks

Veterans Day

Veteran's Day is today and there will be many activities which will continue throughout the weekend. Thanks to all the men and women who have served our country, some have died, while others have been seriously wounded and maimed; the sacrifices are mind boggling. Thank You.

Give thanks to a Vet today and every day.

Weather and Nature

It started to snow last night, Nov. 10 just at sunset; it must have sputtered snow all night since at daybreak there was about an inch on the grass. The forecasts were predicting upwards of five inches with squalls throughout 11-11. There have been intermittent heavy squalls all morning. However, the weekend will be sunny and nice with temps in the 50's.

The Great Lakes are warmer than usual and it is uncertain what that will mean when the “snow machine” kicks in the snow belts. It could be a very snowy winter in the early months. Not so sure the Wooly Bear pictured above knows either, nor does that Groundhog.

Yesterday (Nov. 10) was the Full Moon. For some it is the Full Beaver Moon, others call this moon, The Moon of the Falling Leaves. Yesterday on the tenth marked the 36 anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. All 29 crew members were lost during that violent storm which had winds at 60 mph with gust up too 85 mph. The waves were reported to be in excess of 30 feet.

Nov. 13 is Sadie Hawkins Day, Nov. 24 is Thanksgiving this year; Advent begins on Nov. 27.

Garden

The late Fall garden experiment will be to plant some potatoes over the weekend once the garlic is all done. Every year I have volunteer potatoes, which I missed digging in the fall, which sprout and grow early in the spring.

I checked around for seed potatoes without any luck. I'm going to take a chance and plant some from the super market which sprouted before I could use them. I guess it's worth the try; April or May will tell the story. Hopefully, some early spring spuds with some fresh garlic shoots will be reason to give a thanks.

Brush Piles

This is a good time of the year to start a brush pile before the heavy, heavy snows arrive; there are many branches down from the high winds here locally. A brush pile provides shelter for many smaller animals during the winter months and it's fun to see the tracks coming and going in the snow.

Community Spirit

About 100 Linesville High School (Linesville, PA) students spent the day of Nov. 3 picking up trash along the shoreline of Pymatuning Reservoir, the largest lake in Pennsylvania. A number of other community groups, such as the Senior Environmental Corps, also participated. This was the 5 year for the annual cleanup. According to organizers, each year, less and less rubbish is collected, although there are some problem areas. The organizations who sponsored the event are thankful for the large turn-out. The students have been involved in other environmental volunteer projects throughout the year. Read more about this latest cleanup effort at Pymatuning.