Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and Shadowshot Sunday November 2026

It's the 15th of November and winter has just arrived in my zone 6a garden.

We've had amazing weather in the Southern Tier of New York.  First we had a stretch of beautiful blue skies and warmer than normal temperatures.  Then BOOM winter came on Friday.  We only got about 1/2 inch of snow where I live but I know someone who got over eight inches of snow.  It melted by the afternoon.

But right now the sun is shining!

It's also Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, brought to us by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.  On the 15th of each month, gardeners display what is blooming inside or outside their homes.  Sadly, this will be the next to last Garden Bloggers Bloom Day as Carol is retiring the meme at the end of this year.  So, I invite you to take this opportunity to visit Carol's blog and see what else is blooming in gardens across the world. 

In my garden I actually still have some flowers because it hasn't been below freezing.  But it's the end and these plants seem to know they have reached the end of the line.

 My son gave me this fuchsia hanging basket for Mother's Day and it has survived without me taking it inside.  True, it looks terrible but it is still hanging on.

Ditto for this cuphea. 

This sunpatien has been taken in each night it went below 50F (10C), which is why it still looks good.  It hasn't been out since Wednesday due to weather but I am keeping it alive because this coming week it's (amazingly) going to warm up again into the 50's.  Soon, I'll have to leave it to its fate, though.

Two pictures for #ShadowshotSunday, brought to us by Lisa at This and That:  A Blog.  If you have a shadowy picture to share, why not click through to Lisa's blog and join us?

Here's another sunpatien for Shadowshot Sunday.

Finally, from October 8, Japanese anemones, to remind us of the changing seasons.   These flowers lasted until about November 3, which I think is a record for my back yard.

As my garden slips into its winter nap, let's dream of the spring to come next year.  With that, I offer one last picture.  There are flower buds on my white Lenten Rose.  Hard to see, but I took this quick picture.

Anything blooming for you? 

Opposite of Today #SkywatchFriday

November and its weather finally came to where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.  We got rain after a dry spell, and our milder than normal temperatures went away.  So did our blue skies.

It had to come, sooner than later.  Winter weather.  Snow in higher elevations and just to the north of us. For us, snow on the grass.

Instead of the dreary skies of the last couple of days, here are some sky pictures from November 6 and November 8.

I especially liked this November 8 picture of some unusual clouds. 

Kind of dramatic?

Our weather is supposed to moderate starting next Wednesday.  We'll see.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday. 
 

Veterans Day #WordlessWednesday

Today, November 11, is Veterans Day in the United States.

What follows is a  wordless tribute to the veterans of all wars.  I took these pictures of artwork at the All Wars Memorial at our Veterans Memorial Arena several years ago.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

 

Challenges and Survival #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Today's prompt is: "According to CoolKidFacts, November is a shopaholic’s dream month with the various promotions kicking off early on around the globe. Build your playlist of songs inspired by things on your holiday wish list to “shop” specific songs/lyrics. Just have fun!

But I am going to deviate because it's November 9.

On November 9, 1965, the Northeast United States (including most of New York City, including where I lived at the time) was struck by a major blackout. It started around 5;16 pm, originating near Niagara Falls,  Canada, and caused a chain reaction that resulted in some 30 million people losing power. Most of New York City, including where I lived, was blacked out.  My father was one of some 800,00o riders stranded in the New York City subways. As for me, I've told the story of the blackout before - including my personal experience during that night. 

This night shaped the person I became.  The strength I developed helped me through other rough times in life.

We all face challenges in life, and this is reflected in our music.  Let's listen to some songs.

I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor's 1979 hit.

Fight the Good Fight - Triumph

This is a band I like, and I'm going with one of their 2015 songs.  Here is Throne from Bring Me the Horizon

1981 brought us the iconic Don't Stop Believin' from Journey.

1974's The Show Must Go On from Three Dog Night.

And now (trigger warning) a grim topic I must touch on today.  I normally don't, but today is an exception.

November 9-10 marks the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, when at least 91 Jews were murdered and 7500 Jewish owned businesses were vandalized during a night of state sponsored terrifying violence against Jews in several European countries. Police were ordered not to interfere.

Hate is rising in our country, and in other countries, today. 

I want to introduce a Rush song called Red Sector A.  I've had it on my blog before and I am featuring it again today.

Neil Peart, who wrote the song's lyrics, said that the song was inspired by stories told by bandmate Geddy Lee's mother, who was a Holocaust survivor (as was his father).  The lyrics intentionally leave the context of the song open.

As the Simon Wiesenthal Center said on their website, "Kristallnacht’s warning was never only about broken glass. It was a lesson in what unfolds when a society quietly decides that Jews no longer belong." And this applies to other hatreds of "the other". Let music continue to inspire us.

And that's a wrap.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

When Seasons Collide Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

Last week, my spouse and I took a walk in our local park to see the last of the fall foliage. 

One tree. 

Two trees.

Mixed in with the fall foliage were lights being erected for a holiday (really, Christmas) light show that will begin later this month.  More and more fall and the Holidays are colliding.

Finally, this one says "Let it Snow."

 I say "Objection!"  But sadly, we may get our first snow (maybe flurries, maybe more) Friday. 

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

 

Fall Color and Christmas #SkywatchFriday

We have had such mild weather where I live in the Southern Tier of New York that our fall foliage is hanging on (although, yesterday, we had a little rain and breezes brought a lot of leaves down).

On November 4 my spouse and I went to a local park to walk and see the foliage that remained.  Also, we wanted to soak in those blue skies.

The sky was so blue with just hints of clouds.  We had a pleasant walk.

At the same time, workers were putting up lights for the annual Christmas lighting display, which will open later this month. 

This isn't the first time Christmas and fall color have intersected but this unseasonable weather has disoriented me a little.

Next week, back to reality as the weather becomes more seasonable and the fall/winter dreary clouds assert themselvs.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.
 

Flag and Geese and Migration Thoughts #WordlessWednesday

Today, for Wordless Wednesday, an American flag with a formation of Canada geese flying by. 

I wonder if they were migrating, or just searching out a local place to eat.  What is interesting is that we've been hearing a lot of red winged blackbirds recently.  They aren't year round residents where I live but we have never heard them this late in the year.

I even saw a couple of American robins the other day.   I tried taking pictures of one but it was too far away (see lower left of middle-I apologize for blurriness). It's been so mild these past couple of weeks and I don't know if bird rhythms have been disrupted. I've seen American robins in winter at a local walking trail and know they don't necessarily migrate if there is enough food in the area, but it still made me think.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.