The first snow with some thunder sprinkled in.

Yesterday was beautiful. A gift really. A lovely gift of sunny skies, no wind, and a warm 70 degree day, on November 1st.

I think that is unheard of here in our blustery state of Nebraska.

This whole Fall season feels like a gift. Like this is what God designed Autumn to be like. Pleasant. Mild. Sunny. Filled with beautiful colors and warm weather.

Nebraska hasn't had a Fall season like this since we moved here over four years ago. I had come to think they didn't exist. But they do. Fall has been just absolutely wonderful and I think I will actually mourn seeing it go and make way for winter.

I took advantage of the weather as much as I could yesterday, knowing that today, November 2nd, would usher in weather we're more accustomed to here....cold, rainy, piercing bitter wind, with wet snow and sleet....and surprisingly some thunder and lighting to top it off. How weird to have a thunderstorm accompany snow.

But I can't complain.

This Fall has been too wonderful to complain about the weather to come. Winter and all together cold and unpleasant weather is coming right on cue...not too early, or too late....and for that I am thankful and my heart rejoices.

In anticipation of the change of weather I felt an urgency to get the yard "ready". There is nothing worse than being hit by Nebraska's drizzly rain/snow and not having had one last chance to mow the yard and put things away. Because when it gets yucky the last thing I want to do is be outside.

So I spent the better end of the afternoon, and then evening, and into the night, racking the leaves and mowing the yard. I knew it was totally pointless to be out there after dark, racking and mowing....knowing good and well the rest of my trees would dump their leaves tomorrow and make my efforts all for nothing.

But I was on a roll. And I couldn't stop. And it felt good to be outside, at night, without a coat and just feel the 65 degrees. I turned the car headlights on so I could dimly clean out the garage to make room for the van.

I only freaked myself out a couple times thinking someone was following me....to have it turn out to be my own shadow. :~)

The lawn mower only ran out of gas once. And I only had to call Isaak down from his sinus infection coma to take the gas can lid off....because I couldn't figure it out. Other than that it was all me. That deserves a WHOOP WHOOP! The mower had sympathy on me this last time around. And once I figured out that mowing the lawn is really hard to do in slippery flip flops...and actually put on real shoes...I had a grand old time pushing that baby around. So I ran. Figured I might as well turn it into a workout.

And now it is snowing. Our first snow. Every leaf that remained perched on our trees has fallen back to earth and covers all my effort from last night. But it wasn't wasted effort. Being outside in the mild Fall weather and getting to work felt really good.
 

And I will enjoy this weather....for today. :~) Tomorrow I may be cringing and cursing the blasted snow and cold...but today I will enjoy it. Because yesterday was too much of a gift not too.