November

As a young child my mother always greeted November with the following saying "no sun, no moon, November."

November is still a month of moisture with rain, mist, occasional fog and a dampness in the air even on the sunniest of days when the fine droplets of water or morning dew outline the spiders' webs - secretly tucked into the hedgerows. It no longer holds the threat of the thick swirling "pea-souper" that used to cloak the land like a blanket. Fog had a thick almost yellow tinge and an acrid smell that would almost bite the back of the throat it was considered a threat to life. People would hold handkerchiefs over their noses and mouths or wrap scarves around their heads to avoid breathing it in. Every year there were bronchial troubles and deaths that were attributed to it.

Now in 2007 it is lovely now to see some November sunshine. Sometimes the days are grey and hold the threat of rain but at least the month now holds the promise of being able to see the sun and the moon. There is always one day during the month Winter opens its gates and we have a glimpse of snow - just to warn us that December is on the way!