Tag: November

Frost In November

Our first light frost happened in early October and hard frost in mid-October. We’ve gotten some light snow in November though, so far, it’s melted soon after it falls. While it’s been a bit colder than usual, it’s not out of the norm for northern New Hampshire.

While I’m sorry to see the frost take its toll on the few green plants still lingering, frost itself can be a source of surprising beauty. Hoarfrost is very striking to see. It forms when the air is moist enough and temperatures are below freezing. Moisture will condense directly onto any surface area, creating tiny thorn like spikes during calm conditions unlike rime ice which is rougher in shape and forms under windy conditions such as the summit of Mount Washington.

Rime Ice On Mount Washington

Hoarfrost has a more dainty appearance, turning bare branches or brown weeds into glittering sculptures.

I had some recently when a heavy fog settled in overnight and the temperatures fell under 32 Fahrenheit. It left the spent vegetation with a frosty facelift.

Hoarfrost on plant stems
Hoarfrost on tree branches
hoarfrost coating stems

Bare stems turned into prickly wands, as in the pictures above.

Hoarfrost on dried leaves

Withered leaves developed a punk-style hair-do.

Hoarfrost on bee balm flowers

Old bee-balm flower stalks got a make-over.

Hoarfrost on lavender

Even the lavender plants in my garden sprouted their own tiny spikes.

It all melted away once the sun got high enough but while it lasted, it made for a lovely show, a final hurrah in the fall season before the snow seriously starts to fly.

Have a happy December.

Tail End of November

It’s amazing how fast this month has come and gone. So much has been happening, it’s hard not to be left a little dizzy by it all. A Thanksgiving Day storm allowed only one of my brothers to come for dinner. It was a quiet meal as we avoided politics and stuck to mundane topics like odd family relatives, cat hijinks and how easy it really is to replace the battery in a watch.

The weather in the earlier part of the month was mild enough to I was able to snap this picture in mid-November of a dandelion plant, near the edge of the road, sprouting a pair of bright yellow flowers.

dandelions in November

There have been enough frost so that it’s unlikely pollinators will be visiting these blossoms. But dandelions are rugged little beings. If they could talk, they would say “We don’t need no stinking pollinators.” They can self fertilize and set seed. The seeds can lie dormant in the soil for up to five years before sprouting. The plant can re-sprout from bits of small taproot left in the ground. No matter what you do to them, they can bounce back from any blow.

Now there’s snow staying on the ground so winter is here, at least for now. But take a lesson from the dandelion. It’s possible to bounce back from anything. If a lowly weed can do it, so can we.

Peace and long life.

Columbia, Spirit of Liberty