Did winter come and go already?

Saturday it rained, the wind blew, it hailed and snowed, leaving a white cover over all the valley. It looked so beautiful outside. We had a fire in the fireplace and felt cozy. But the snow won't stay long.
But with the snow it brings all the giant 'heards' of Starlings back, swooping and noisy and landing in the yards like a carpet of black, then the music of their rustling wings moving to the tops of the roofs, then another movement and blanketing the trees in black, then moving again like black waves of water flowing through the sky... I like them, it is a sign of winter here.
Today is glorious and fall and no signs of white, except way high on the tops of the mountains. It is still crisp outside and time to start removing the dead flowers in the gardens. Time to start preparing for spring.