We’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to update.

The other day we did the dreaded holiday shopping in one fell swoop.  After one store after another, I was done in, but mission accomplished.  This antique shop cat had the right idea–sleep through the feeding frenzy.

Yesterday we headed up the hill to Avdi’s to work on the project of repairing, installing, and cleaning before the kids’ visit.  The foothills were shrouded in mist, and the leaves were in full color and falling all over in the continuing rain.

It’s a work in progress, but we made a big dent, and discussed future installments and color schemes.

Here is one of Avdi’s cats supervising, and enjoying all the attention.

Unending rain and low 40s seem to be our lot for the foreseeable future, so may as well make the most of it.  Even WaterCat has been spending more time lounging indoors, because she’s no dummy.  I myself took these rainy photos from inside (while baking cornbread to go with my homemade navy bean soup).  I’m a proud HiberNation member, after all.

It was a balmy 56°, and fearless jungle kitty was prowling the tree canopy.  She’s totally at home up there.  After effortlessly descending from the heights, she and “Joey” the blobcat [sic] had a typical howl-down on the deck.  It’s all bluster and no bite.

Talking about weather in TN may not be the default boring conversation topic it is elsewhere.  The meteorological graphs read like a roller coaster.  You might call it “The Meteor”.

When I stepped outside this frosty morning at a frigid 28° and broke some serious ice, I was curious to see how low it had dropped overnight.  It turns out (for all you meteorology nerds) it was a steady 30° all night and early morning, until at 5AM it literally took a sudden nosedive to 27° and then inched up a degree to where I found it just after sunrise.  It’s like with no warning it weirdly fell off a cliff.

Similarly, the trees have two setting here: green and dump.  After that cold deluge we had, all the leaves are finally falling steadily like colorful snow.

Even OutdoorsKitty took a couple of double takes before she got up the nerve to go out there.  She’s no fool.

It’s strange in this cold to think of the horrific wildfires raging out of control right now in California, displacing thousands of people.  Most officials and experts agree it’s due to climate change, unlike our idiot-in-chief, who blames mismanagement or whatever crap he concocts to misdirect his minions.  But I digress…back to the weather.

That is, back to going dormant, which is what all sane lifeforms do this time of year.  If I had a banner or coat of arms, my emblem would have to be the salamander, who comes out in warm rain and hibernates when it’s cold, like a sensible person.  Also something legendary about fire-fighting, but I’ll leave medieval myths to trump where they belong.

[Photo credit to Tami Gingrich of Herping Ohio for her great salamander image.]

There was a thin sheet of ice on outdoor water surfaces this morning.  However, the cold doesn’t stop this kitty from running out there and positioning her mouth below the bird feeders!

It’s a cold, rainy erev, and falling to freezing temps tonight.  It’s also unusual in that my son is out of town on business, so it feels even colder.  Though I notice in Austin, TX where he is, it’s not a whole lot warmer right now.  We miss him, but wish him much success.  We’re keeping his place warm for him.

I brought in the last of the peppers before the freeze–look how many there were, mostly jalapeños.  I also rescued a few more flowers and herbs.  The house looks a lot more homey with plants.

Here’s the kitty’s opinion of all this cold dampness–let me in!  Now that’s more like it.  She too is keeping Avdi’s place warm.

It’s been in the 60s and almost 70s, so that means–it’s going down into the 30s and 20s!?  We must be in East Tennessee.  Last xmas we were outside in t-shirts, so who knows what’s next.

All I know is, there are no nuanced shades of gray in TN, just red all over, dotted with tiny islands of blue.  Our state flag says it all.  I’m designing my own.

Well.  What can I say, it’s Tennessee, now considered redder than Texas!  Blah.  So disappointing.  But this morning was a new day.

I have to remind myself of all the fine and worthwhile reasons we moved here.  Plus Dems did win back the House, so that’s a big deal.  Now maybe they can investigate and incriminate our evil dictator, and block some of his heinous moves.

Maybe not in our lifetime, but one day TN will come around.  In the meantime, we do what we can to be the difference in lives we encounter, and try not to get too discouraged.

Here are the two cats reenacting the election, complete with loud howls and growls.  I’m not sure this video will open, but trust me, it was quite a standoff.  Video1107180821_1 .  Here’s a photo instead.

Today we continued the repairs, scrubbing bathrooms, and hanging new curtains in the kids’ rooms at my son’s, while a plumber did the more extreme fixes.  We’re almost ready for the kids to descend upon Avdi for Thanksgiving.  Here are colors up the mountain, and in the kitchen.  Cheers to a better future TN.

Here to cheer you on as we anxiously await results are some festive seasonal colors. And unseasonal–who knew azaleas and violets bloom in November–maybe it’s a Sign!  After the strong storm last night, even some tornadoes reported, all kinds of strange lichens and mosses are thriving.

And…we voted!  Cautious optimism is the overriding feeling this morning.  Now if everyone who is disturbed and concerned about our current direction will just get out there and vote, we can change the course of history and get back on track.