For my friends who are reading this in some warm, sunny winter retreat, you missed a wild winter day here at Joe's Pond.  We  have had snow for the past couple of days - not a lot, about four inches - but it has blown around and off the trees making it seem as if we were in a blizzard most of today.  The bottom of our driveway is swept clear of snow, but the rest of it is well covered.  Tonight is cold again - 13 degrees as I write this (11 p.m.) but the wind has quieted down, and that's good news.
     We're heading into another warming trend, so will probably lose at least some of our snow.  In the meantime, each week we get just a little colder and it's beginning to look more like winter than fall.
     Deer hunting was over Sunday evening, so I expect the deer that are left enjoyed a day without being startled by hunters invading their home territory.  We saw lots of pickup trucks with men in red garb peering out of the windows as they drove down West Shore Road Sunday afternoon.  Hoping to spot a deer in the last hours.  I didn't hear many gun shots this year.  Perhaps not as many hunters in the area - lots of land is now posted, so it may not be quite as easy to find a place to hunt around here.
     I got out a few Christmas decorations today and hung some greens on the doors - too cold to fool around outside getting brush for swags or wreaths, so I clipped some low-hanging branches next to the driveway and tied them together.  Some years I've made wreaths, but the spirit hasn't moved me in that direction yet. I've been watching the massive advertising - Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday.  Some good deals, I'm sure, for folks buying Christmas gifts, or a great time to pick up household items like televisions, microwaves and other big items.  Local shops are offering great deals, too.  So good luck if you're shopping!