Today we mowed for the final time this year.  Plus I did some yard maintenance.  I’m exhausted (more than the usual) but I refuse to give in to it.  Misu slept through it all in her window daybed.

It’s typical of this climate zone that the few flowers blooming outside right now are some roses, poppies, and coneflowers, though the stalwart marigolds have finally given up the ghost.  My indoor Thanksgiving cactus is blooming.  The monster holly out back is covered from top to bottom with bunches of large red berries.  Most but not all trees have lost their leaves.  It’s been freezing overnight, but still reaching the 60s during the day.  Perfect for working outdoors.

As coronavirus cases and deaths keep multiplying exponentially, and hospitals and morgues are overrun beyond capacity, naturally TN is one of the remaining states to refuse to issue a mandate or curfews.  It’s even riskier to just go shopping for essentials.

But shop we must.  Inexplicably, there’s another TP shortage, despite the fact that average Tennesseans don’t seem to take this crisis seriously.  Maybe they decorate their xmas trees with toilet paper?  Anyway, we won’t be going anywhere or seeing any loved ones for a long time.

Fortunately, I have plenty of garden projects to keep me off the streets.  It’s getting chilly, but still perfect for working.  My future “forest” is coming along.  I keep trying to look up and forward.

Today it looks a lot more like November, with rain, strong winds, and swirling leaves, though it’s still in the 60s for now.  Today I began the project of manually weed-whipping the “prairie” and mulching around each tree.  It will take a while, but the end result will look a lot more like a meadow and grove of trees.  Judging by these seedlings, next fall will be very colorful.

Seriously?  A million MAGA mob of morons packed together without masks in DC, in absolute brainwashed denial of reality.  It looks eerily like a nazi rally, only with dumb rednecks.  And trump is shamelessly fueling this mob scene of death-wishers.  I can’t believe I live in the same country with these idiots.  But enough on that; hopefully sanity will start to prevail soon.

Here are some brilliant colors on this sunny day in the 60s.  I even managed to sneak up on this skittish cloudless sulphur (I think) butterfly.  Note the excellent camouflage.

What else could possibly go wrong, after the year that should win the Guinness World Record for most/worst catastrophes!  Famous last words.  Hopefully under saner leadership, our losing streak will soon be over.  But for now, we need to remain in more of a lockdown than ever, as the pandemic escalates.

In healthier news, it’s a gorgeous sunny day in the 60s.  As there are fewer ground level flower opps, I’ve been practicing my “keep looking up” skills with trees.

I can’t get over how huge these sycamore leaves get.  The tree started out a tiny sapling from my son’s property, and now it towers over me.

This latest surge of US COVID cases and deaths is shattering all previous records, yet people are still going about their business in total denial.  That’s one serious death wish.  Meanwhile, our delusional pretender-in-chief cowers and sulks in his bunker, telling himself he will rule forever, or else.  Our country is an insane asylum run by babies.  The Biden/Harris WH can’t come soon enough.

In more natural news, it’s starting to look and feel more fall-like after the long, steady rain we had.  Whirlwinds of leaves swirled and covered the grass with bright confetti.  My newly-planted trees are happy.  My drifts of dill that germinated from scattered dill plant seeds are covered with raindrop jewels.

Our November summer in the 80s continues.  I was able to plant a few more trees and get more yard work done.  I’m surrounded by brilliant falling leaves and blooming flowers.  If climate change continues at this rate, winter may become a thing of the past, and summer an inferno.  But for now, it’s a big improvement over icy northeast Novembers.  Nevertheless, Misu has decided it’s winter, and has moved to her luxurious winter accommodations each evening.  She’s the very embodiment of decadence.

It says a lot that Pres-elect Biden is already getting his COVID task force and other strategies in gear, whereas our loser-in-chief is still sulking and refusing to concede to reality.  They’ll have to evict his bunker bitch ass and go in with HAZMAT teams to decontaminate the WH before it’s safe to move in.

This country is in for an uphill battle to regain common decency and restore basic services, never mind re-establish cooperation with the rest of the world.  But at least there’s some light ahead now.

Speaking of light, it’s a hot, sunny day, headed for the 80s in November!  It’s almost too hot to work outside, but that won’t stop me.  Yesterday I added more cedars to the front line, and more redbuds to the shadier property line.  I have a few more to go to finish up the tree lines, plus a holly and some tuliptrees.  I won’t live to see my future “forest”, but I can imagine one.

Meanwhile, the present is looking more hopeful.

There was a world block party all day and night after the announcement.  Not only in every major (and minor) city, but across the world, sharing in our good news.  There were fireworks, and people crying with relief, and children witnessing possibilities.

We too were glued to our screen, waving our little flags (US and Pride) in solidarity, mesmerized by this historical phenomenon of thousands of people rejoicing (with masks, on for the most part) in the streets.  It looked like scenes after WWII was declared over.  I feel like maybe I can sleep again, and wake up to some hope for a change.

It will take time and work just to get back on track and undo some of the damage done, but it’s a start.  Obviously half of our country is not ready for adulting yet, having fallen under trump’s vicious spell and turned into savage deluded toddlers.  We have a lot of ground to make up, starting with taking this deadly pandemic seriously.  Thousands are dying each day now in the US.  But at least now we can give science a chance.

Even nature looks brighter today.  The leaves are falling like rainbow confetti.  The sky seems bluer.  It’s going to be 80º today and tomorrow!  Summer in November.

It reminds me of a song from much simpler times.  In a way we’ve come full circle, back to square one.  There’s not much more to lose, or depths to sink to.  Nowhere to go but up.

“Dancing in the Street”, Martha and the Vandellas, 1964

Calling out around the world
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer’s here and the time is right
For dancing in the street

They’re dancing in Chicago (dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street)
In New York City (dancing in the street)

All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swinging, swaying, and records playing
Dancing in the street

Oh, it doesn’t matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere around the world

They’ll be dancing (dancing in the street)
They’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)

It’s an invitation across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There’ll be laughing, singing, and music swinging
Dancing in the street

Philadelphia, PA (dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C. now (dancing in the street)
Can’t forget the Motor City (dancing in the street)…

…
Way down in L.A. (dancing in the street)
Every day, they’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Let’s form a big, strong line (dancing in the street)
Get in time, we’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Across the ocean blue (dancing in the street)
Me and you, we’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Marvin Gaye / William Stevenson / Ivy Hunter

Dancing In The Street (Stereo) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

I did a victory lap and took these .  I had almost forgotten how to keep looking up.