November Sweetness
Animal preparations, the year's final supermoon, and an ode to barren trees
Let’s find some things to celebrate in November!
Here are three events to watch for, two quotes for the season, and one grounding activity to get you slowing down in the month ahead.
Three Events to Celebrate this Month
1. The final Supermoon in a series of epic full moons
November 15 marks the full moon known as the Beaver Moon—designated as such because its the time when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges for the winter.
It’s also the fourth and final Supermoon of the year in a series that I’ve been talking about in these posts for a few months now.
As a reminder, a Supermoon occurs when a moon is at or near the closest point in its orbit which causes it to look dramatically more radiant and larger than usual. And just in time since we’ll be witnessing a dramatic reduction in daytime light this month, as much as 90+ minutes less in the northernmost parts of the continental United States.
2. The Wetland Birds are Migrating
Keep your eyes on the sky for that signature “V” and your ears tuned in for honks and squawks. Canadian geese, tundra swans, shore birds, ducks, and other waterfowl are all making their way south.
This Aububon Society article shares some hotspots from around the country to see these and other birds along the way, including the Great Salt Lake in Utah, the Lake Superior region of Minnesota, and Cape May, New Jersey.
3. Many Animals are Getting Ready for Winter
Not all birds migrate. Look around and you might notice birds getting ready for for winter in a variety ways, such as eating fattier foods like nuts to add on bulk (see this article for more).
Squirrels and other mammals are also preparing - gathering and burying food, building nests, and building up their fat and winter coats.
Ever wonder what a squirrel nest (known as a “drey”) looks like from the inside? This BBC Earth video of baby squirrels is worth a watch:
Two Quotes for November
1.
With few exceptions, in most parts of the northern hemisphere, most deciduous trees will be bare by the end of the month. In her book, Wintering, Katherine May reminds us of what’s gained by this loss:
“The tree is waiting. It has everything ready. Its fallen leaves are mulching the forest floor, and its roots are drawing up the extra winter moisture, providing a firm anchor against the seasonal storms. Its ripe cones and nuts are providing essential food in this scarce time for mice and squirrels, and its barkis hosting hibernating insects and providing a source of nourishment for hungry deer. It is far from dead. It is in fact the life and soul of the woods. It’s just getting on with it quietly.”
2.
Or alternatively, consider the poem, “November Night,” by Adelaide Crapsey, on this same phenomenon:
Listen.
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
Slowing Down: Try this for the month of November
As the leaves continue to fall, the sky will appear more fully. This is one of the great gifts of the winter months. Take advantage of this changing “sky-scape” and spend more time looking up.
Take advantage of the shorter days to witness the sunrises and sunsets. Take advantage of the longer nights. See if you can spot Jupiter or the full Beaver moon that occurs towards the end of the month.
Watch the squirrels and try to find their nests. Pay attention to any distant sounds of honks and if you hear them look to the sky to see if you can spot a migrating flock.
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