the last of fall

A bit of snow made the last day of October even more colorful with the lingering fall colors brightened in the pure white. It didn't last and autumn continued as the calendar page turned to November and then December.

Setting the table every evening for dinner when the sun has disappeared to its chambers long before we go to ours has given me the opportunity to create simple candlelight arrangements for our family meals. A few pieces of greenery tucked in between, with stems hidden away, can be cleared and reset with ease as the tablecloth needs attention. I don't always get to ironing the cloth so the wrinkles become part of the 'rustic charm'. Just what I was going for.

How to make easy curtain tiebacks

Brownies with extra chocolate chips in batter and topped while still warm from oven.

Pizza crust with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan and sea salt.

In early November, Shane completed his second running race of the year which followed a trail by the ocean. Thankfully the tide was out and the weather was mild enough for us to be out to cheer him on. Friends also ran and everyone stayed safe and crossed the finish line in high spirits.

Laura and I have added some cooking sessions to her Grade 9 year. We have worked on making bone  broth, learning herbs and then the basics of soup making. 

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we loaded up out car with luggage and set out on the long car ride south to eastern Pennsylvania to visit my parents. The town they currently live in has a historic canal and lock park which we like to visit and walk along. This time we walked far enough to find the remains of a bridge that was built for the railway line. 

On Thanksgiving Day after making a family meal for all of us at my parents' house, we cleaned up the kitchen and then took a little road trip north to explore the town of Jim Thorpe, PA.
Almost everything was closed because of the holiday, but many visitors like us wandered around the streets, looking into shop windows and taking photos of the buildings and town square. The fall color was all gone in the trees and surrounding mountain, but the early Christmas lights and decor added cheer to the fading autumn season.

We drove home through New York and Connecticut a different way than we had arrived which gave us the chance to revisit some bridges, highways and parkways that we had not traveled for many years. Finally by the light of the moon, we made it through Maine and back into New Brunswick. It's close to a thirteen hour trip if all goes well and the stops are short and infrequent. But there is no way I'd rather travel right now than by car.

This little bit of snowfall came on the last day of November and barely lasted a day. We often use the word blanket to describe a covering of snow, but when I looked out, I saw the pattern of a quilt on our walkway. The snow momentarily softened the stones with its pretty design, but very soon faded as I took these photos.
The rest of our December was mostly green with some heavy frosts and just one small snowstorm whose accumulation went away long before Christmas Day arrived. Even now, a week into January, we have just a small patches of snow lying around on the frozen ground although a winter storm warning has been issued for tomorrow.

The first weekend in December, Shane ran his final race of the year in central Maine along with friends and Laura and I joined the entourage. We did some shopping and then waited at the finish line to see the runners come over. I think the runners are already planning to return this coming December so the cheering squad will too.