A Couple of Quiet November Days at Home

Just a couple of normal days at home in mid-November. The weather has been clear, so I've been getting out for walks in the hills nearby. The landscape is all golden-brown chaparral this time of year, completely dry under the sun. On one of the trails, I came across this hawk, just sitting calmly on a post right below the big communication towers that loom over the area. It watched me for a moment before I moved on.

The evenings have been the best part. As the sun drops, the air gets cool quickly and the light changes completely. From the ridgeline, you can watch the sky fade from pale blue to a deep, warm orange right at the horizon. The hills go dark first, turning into these deep black silhouettes against the remaining light.

Looking down the other side of the hill, you can see the whole town settled into the valleys. The houses are packed in pretty tight, following the curves of the landscape. The last light catches the distant mountains in the east and turns the whole sky a soft, hazy orange. It’s a familiar and quiet end to the day.