Calendar page turns to November
Autumn season filling with its peace
Colorful leaves have fallen away
Winds of winter begin to release
Temperatures cascading downward
Barren trees swaying and shivering
Farm fields ready for hibernation
Autumn’s harmony now quivering
Many say, beware of November
Her fading hues begin looking north
Arctic’s snowy cold now encroaching
Winter’s early surprise coming forth
Ranchers scurry to shelter cattle
Yards cheerfully display fall’s decor
Boldly hanging on to each strawman
Nothing postpones winter’s early chore
Harsh winds of November come and go
Sometimes with cold feints, or so much more
Chilling rain turns to ice, never nice
Winter’s snow, knocking at autumn’s door
During my first year of teaching at Plevna Schools, found in southeastern Montana, I was greeted with a winter that I will always remember. The first snowflakes and cold began arriving in early November, and they didn’t stop until late February. Finally the chinook winds began to warm up the countryside, and ranchers and farmers were rejoicing. After all, the winter one year earlier had included the famous blizzard of 1978.
Big Sky Buckeye 