This month has been distinctly different from the previous two. Rains are heavier and more frequent, and cold fronts and nightly freezes are also more common, although not constant (the usual back and forth of Texas weather). At the times when it was cold, temperatures have approached a consistent 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit and demanded warmer coats for the mornings and nights, but afternoons rose to a cool 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit (Still a bit cold for me).
Even though there were freezes and Fall is ending, many trees and plants here were still green and healthy all month, only now at the end of November are leaves losing color and falling with the wind. I saw a few Juniper trees with green on them though. Many flowers have died off however, leaving mostly flowering weeds and grasses on the ground.
As for animals, they seem about as frequent as usual, besides on the cold days. Large hawks and vultures still make themselves well known. Roadrunners are more frequent though I noticed. I’ve seen them come by a few times in small groups of two or three, or if not in groups, at about the same place at the same time. Insects are also larger. I’ve seen Katydids and Leaf-Footed Bugs, both about 3 inches in length, as well as large groups of Bumble Bees around lately so I guess now is the season for insects to mature. Smaller birds have been a bit more infrequent. I’ve seen a few small birds like cardinals but overall it feels quieter lately.
I enjoy the shift in nature. I’m pretty sure every Texan enjoys the Fall and Spring and a change in pace from the constant heat and cold of Summer and Winter. It’s a peaceful time when the rains aren’t hard. You feel like going outside anytime because of how cool and natural if feels. Especially when all sorts of animals feel free to roam as well. It’s always when I think of this that the fact of the incoming highway comes to mind. I can still see the lights in the distance at night, as well as when I drive into Austin. A huge amount of farmland was taken by the city on McKinney Falls Pkwy and is now the location of some massive land disruption, making way for another road. Driving on Burleson Rd, I see an oil company constructing a large office facility and it reminds me that people still have faith in the profiteering future of oil. “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, but He is no longer the only one to do so.” (pg. 69)