This morning we had a few glimpses of sunshine, but this afternoon has turned dismal again, living up to the reputation November has of being one of the two least sunny months in Vermont, December being the other.  Records show November and December on average have only three days each of sunshine, and only five and six partly sunny days.  I should probably change the banner at the top of this blog page to something more cheerful than this typical November landscape . . . but soon enough we'll have snow and I'll put something current, and perhaps brighter, on then.

 Lack of sunshine is known to affect our moods - no surprise there.  Along with the lack of sunshine is the ritual of turning back our clocks tonight (officially 2 a.m. tomorrow, but most of us will do it before going to bed tonight).  I generally have a hard time adjusting to the time change, especially in the fall.  My main complaint is that my system remains on Daylight Saving Time while the world is functioning on Standard Time.  I don't have a problem sleeping that extra hour, but it always takes my stomach a week or so to adjust to eating later.  I'm not the only one who wishes we didn't have this "spring ahead, fall back," thing to cope with.  Some people suggest this change is no longer necessary, and we should keep Daylight Saving Time all year; others say a good compromise would be to roll clocks back half an hour and let that be.  I think either one would work for me.  The change each spring doesn't bother me - everything is happy in the spring.

Here's something I think is pretty neat.  Oregon State University has come up with a precipitation map that changes colors daily to reflect the input from volunteers (like CoCoRaHS folks), airports, and weather stations throughout the United States.  My daily report goes into this, along with those of hundreds of other volunteers. 

Now that there are fewer people here at Joe's Pond, it's time to remind folks that it's not a good idea to leave your home unlocked, whether you're here year around or only during the summer.  Some people still do that, thinking we're so rural, nobody is going to break in and take our stuff.  But that's not so.  We hear all the time about people breaking and entering, some in broad daylight, and some even when people are at home.  Keep your doors locked and arm your security system, if you have one.  More and more people in our area have installed security systems, and that's a good thing.  Law enforcement says if you come home and things don't seem quite as you left them and you suspect someone may be inside, don't go in, call 9-1-1.  If you leave for the winter, don't leave valuables behind.  Take them with you, or put them in safe storage.  Just recently, I heard about someone having their belongings in a storage unit stolen, so what are you going to do?  

Lots more people have surveillance cameras installed at their homes these days than you'd expect.  It might not deter a thief, but it could make identification much easier.  If you see a strange car or people in the neighborhood that could be casing houses for future break ins, take down their number plate, if you can, and have the police check it out.  And don't open your door to a stranger.  I know, it sounds paranoid, but better to be safe, and people who aren't out to do harm will understand.   Here's an informative site that may help you avoid becoming a victim: It's Tactical

So don't forget to set your clocks back tonight, and don't let November Gloom get to you.  And lock the door behind you.