Just like that it is a new season! We had a storm on Saturday into Sunday that marked the end of a long warm dry fall with an exclamation point. Started out as rain and wind on Saturday and when we woke up on Sunday morning the world was covered in snow. About 4 inches of a new coating that covers an icy layer brought on by the transition from rain. Not unexpected to be sure it is after all December in Maine.
One aspect of this time of year is the short days. Sunset this week is a little after 4PM and on a cloudy day the darkness arrives well before actual sunset. After this week sunset gets a little later each day and will be about 4:15 by the first of the year. Sunrise begins to get earlier in a couple of weeks and before you know it the days will be noticeably longer.
I mark the season by the chores that need to be done. For instance last week the Lund went to the outboard mechanic for its annual overhaul. This time it is for the new owner who will get the boat in the spring hopefully before my new one arrives. Bringing firewood into the house is another seasonal measure. In the summer we go a couple of months between trips to the woodshed. In the fall trips become once a week, then twice a week and soon now an every day chore. Sometime in March as the days are getting long again the trend reverses.
The long dry fall made it possible for me to complete a new greenhouse on the side of our garage. Something we have talked about having for at least 30 
years is finally a reality. Too soon to tell what we might be able to grow through the winter. Before the snow fell though I brought in a few spinach plants and put them in a planter to see how they do. Again too soon to tell but a fun winter experiment.
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