Yet again another month has gone flying in. We seem to have had a bit of everything in November - it's been a mild, perishingly cold, wet, dry, blustery, calm month - sometimes all in the same day!
But I always love that feeling when you've been outdoors all day - you come in to draw the curtains early and get the fires on so you can be warm and cosy indoors.
It's our version of hibernating for the night ahead.
This is of course the time of year when our furred and feathered friends need us most.
We've seen a big increase in the number of garden birds round our feeders and even our Tawny owl is regularly sitting on one of our bird feeding tables early in the evening-resting quietly and waiting for a wee mousie!
Members of the Newcastleton Wildlife Watch have been hard at work creating tasty treats for hungry birds.
The roe deer come often to nibble in our garden, and some mice have turned our shed into their winter residence. The bats are now hibernating in our chicken coop too.
Winter is certainly on its way.
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
* Frost fungi;
* Take part in a bird spotting winter survey;
* Track animal prints in the mud/snow.
WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WILDLIFE:
* Thaw frozen bird baths - the birds need water with their feed.
* Create an animal home at the bottom of your garden. It doesn't have to be quite as luxurious as our very special Bug Hotel - just use sticks, logs and leaves to make a little shelter.
* Plant bulbs in your garden that bees and butterflies will thrive on in the Spring such as alliums, tulips, bluebells and snowdrops.
You're probably getting well prepared for Christmas and all the many joys of the festive season. If you'd like to give gifts which:
a/ Reflect your own love of wildlife
b/ Support a Borders artist and craftsperson like me instead of a big anonymous chain of shops or online retailers - then please take a look at the cards, prints, slates, teatowels and mugs on my website.
KEEP WILDLIFE WATCHING.
WE MAY BE NEARLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR,
BUT THERE IS STILL PLENTY TO LOOK OUT FOR.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH!