Greetings to all. My oh my is it a dark time of the year. One month until the winter solace, however, if you were to look at a calendar of when the sun rises and sets, you will see that in fact, the sun sets the earliest, the week of December 5th to the 14th.

Then, beginning December 15th, we start gaining a minute of sunlight in the afternoon/early evening. Mind you, we are still losing a minute or two of sunlight in the morning, but in terms of the afternoon, in fact it is on December 15th when we start to turn the corner.

Although I don't hunt deer, I am a passionate observer of deer hunting. I like gathering hunting intel (intelligence), share photos of one's bagged deer, etc. etc. Last Sunday night, my husband Ray & I made a run to Kentucky Fried Chicken and on Route 17b, just before the racetrack, encountered what was labeled a sobriety check, made up of the Green & Gray patrol of the DEC and New York State Police Cell phones and sharing photos of deer. No word on anyone seeing Fernando Neves' 21-point buck, King.

Nice to see that the Palisades Park Commission posted Dr. Duggan Road this year, near Lake Superior in Bethel. A few years ago, I tried to find the hunting rules for the Palisades Park property on Dr. Duggan Road and could not find them. Opening day of rifle season, not one car was parked along that road, in that wooded area. Win for the deer. You may find it interesting to know that the Pennsylvania rifle season doesn't open until November 30th this year (as opposed to our November 16th opening date.) In my opinion, the rifle season opens too early in New York State as there are still bucks out there trying to breed does, during the “main” rut.

Someone told my mother that someone told this person, that they thought that I made up some of my nature news. Au contraire! I am not writing fake nature news! I am shocked to hear this.

On November 12th, I watched some flocks of Canada geese, flying high in the sky, scrambling to get south, as many of the water bodies have started to freeze up. On November 13th, the Otto pond on Pucky Huddle Road had a heron in a tree looking at a frozen pond. The heron was trying to figure out what to do, maybe it was the first time the heron saw ice. Please let me know if you see a snowy owl as this is the time of the year when we may see one.

Have you seen that lost cat poster in the Jeffersonville post office? Alfred the cat, the reward being offered is $2000. Wow!

The Bethel Lions Club will be having a few vision screenings for children, at the Bethel Wood Christmas Market on December 7th and 8th, 11 - 4, Bethel Woods, Bethel.

Kenoza Lake United Methodist Church - Sunday, November 24th, Bud LeConey will be in the pulpit. There will be an ecumenical Thanksgiving service on Tuesday, November 26th at 7:00 pm at the Jeffersonville First Presbyterian Church. Linda Simmons, lay preacher of the White Sulphur Springs United Methodist church, will officiate. Music to be performed by Nancy Johnston. Refreshment will follow. All are welcome to attend. Kenoza Lake preaching schedule for December:1st Paul Thompson, 8th Linda Simmons, 15th Allen Wachter Holy Communion, 22nd Paul Thompson, 24th Linda Simmons, 29th Bud LeConey.

No Kenoza Lake news column next week, next column, Friday, December 6th.

Every year, I end my Thanksgiving column with the words to one of my favorite hymns:

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of harvest home;

All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin;

God, our Maker, doth provide. For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God's own temple, come, Raise the song of harvest home

Count Your Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!