November 2023 Backyard Bulletin

View the full edition at this link.

The hardcore skate skiers among us may disagree, but last November was rudely taken from us when December began on November 6th with a historic snowstorm in the Methow Valley. I'm sure you haven't forgotten, but I still feel compelled to remind you as I'm still just a little bitter about it. However, in a predictable no-light-without-darkness pattern, the notable lack of fall last year has made this year all the sweeter!

I was discussing the slow season change with my Dad a few weeks back, telling him the leaves had begun to drop here and that the colors had mostly past. He said something along the lines of, "I love the colors in November." I replied with confusion, "But I just said the colors are gone." He pressed on, encouraging me to appreciate the more muted hues that reveal themselves in those final moments before winter. I've had this on my mind as I've gratefully walked the foothills these last few weeks observing pastel-green sage, straw-colored grasses, and the earthy red stems of the wild rose. As is usually the case in the natural world, beauty is easy to find when you remember to look for it.

- Bridger Layton, Education Programs Coordinator