Yes, despite what you’re seeing from the other parts of Canada on Hi, it is still Fall.

Victoria has one of the mildest year-round climates in the country, and despite a persistent dull grey hue hanging around the past few weeks, we are still treated to the odd day like this in November.

I always get a little bit lost in November (what do I do with my hands?!). I love October because it is quintessentially Fall; the sudden turn of the leaves a visual reminder that it’s time to pull the jacket out of the closet again. Hockey is on TV, the days are getting shorter, and the quiet hum of normal life resumes after a summer of camping, traveling, and going to festivals.

I love December because, obviously, it’s the holidays. It’s the only time of year where things are allowed — even expected — to slow down for a while. I celebrate becoming another year older. I get to sleep in the house I grew up in. Those few days over Christmas are so startlingly different than the other 360 in the calendar, yet I fall into them so effortlessly.

November is a stopgap. One last burst of colour until it all silently settles somewhere between white and grey.