There's just over a week to go in November and it's absolutely gorgeous outside again today! My fingers did get a bit cold hanging laundry out on the line this morning, but not enough to go get gloves. I remember when the clothes line was all my mother had to dry clothes on year round - in the winter you froze your fingers hanging things out, and again when you brought them back in. Then they (the clothes) were strung out around our tiny little house so they could finish drying because freeze-drying didn't quite get the whole job done. The smell of damp cotton thawing out transports me back to those days in the blink of an eye, and it's a trip I love to make, frozen fingers and all.

But, as I said, that wasn't a problem today. There is a temperature of at least 10 degrees and a good stiff breeze from the south so my sheets and towels will be completely dry and be soft and fluffy when they come back in. And, being fully dry, will smell like heaven, to boot. I know. I know. I'm just a country bumpkin and the littlest things make me happy - sophistication is something that other people can strive for.

Glen is working yet another weekend. He says that once the freeze up starts the oilfield will slow down and he'll spend some time at home again. There is so much to do around here freeze up better happen pretty soon. We are still grain feeding 60 or so steers twice a day. They should have been shipped to market ages ago but there has been no time to make the trucking arrangements and sort them for the trip. He does the chores in the morning before he leaves for work, and I do them as soon as I get home from work at night. I really prefer to work with big animals like that in the daylight, but the sun goes down earlier every night. I have got it down to a science now - how long it takes me to carry 24 pails of chop , and fill them again for morning chores. It used to take me 45 minutes but I can do it in under 35 now. It's quite the workout, and by the end of this week those minutes I've managed to shave off my time won't make any difference anyway - it will be dark regardless. Maybe he'll have a few days off in a row this week and those animals will be gone by that time ... of course then we'll just turn around, bring the herd in, wean this year's calves, and start all over again.

Meanwhile, inside the house, I'm doing my regular Saturday thing. I have buns on the rise, laundry to fold, stew on the go for supper, and will next be sitting down with the Sears catalog to try and come up with some Christmas gift ideas. There was a big trade fair of local businesses and home party salespeople in town this morning so I went in for a bit. I didn't buy anything, but have placed an order or two so at least I can say I have started shopping. There's a long way to go though, I had better get on with it ...