Snowfall in Short Hills.

12-9-21 SHORT HILLS: Another palindrome date. We’ve been back in NJ for several days. Today was the first cold one with our first snow of the season. It wasn’t very deep. We still have flowers on the purple lamium and abelia.

The lawn guys have finished up and took most of the fallen leaves out of the pool area. I cleaned up the rest of the debris on the pool cover and lots of fallen sticks and branches. 

Almost all the leaves are down. The only benefit to having bare tree limbs is that it’s easier to see the birds. The feeders are busier than they have been. The berry bearing bushes still have a lot of fruit that provides alternative bird food.

A couple mornings ago, I was in the yard with the dogs when two small flocks of geese flew over head doing a lot of quacking. They were flying northeast. I found them, and many others, at the lake that’s part of the Essex County Recreation Complex. There must have been more than 100 geese all gathered at one end of the lake. 

Before we left VT, I put up all the driveway reflectors to guide the snow plowers. I also set up the game cams in new spots for the winter. I think we’re set for winter in VT and NJ, but there’s always something that turns up that I forgot to do.

Part of a huge flock of Canada geese at the Essex County Rec Complex.

The snow wasn't too deep this morning.

House finch, we have about a dozen here the last few days.

White-throated sparrow is here with several friends.