North Wind Doth Blow...

When I was a first grade teacher, I often taught my little students this snippet of a traditional nursery rhyme:

North wind doth blow

And we shall have snow

And what will poor robin do then,

Poor thing

He'll sit in a barn

To keep himself warm,

And hide his head under his wing, 

Poor thing

I'd not thought of this ditty in years, until a week ago when I was outdoors taking photos of a particularly gorgeous Kansas sunset.  Just look at those colors as a backdrop for this cottonwood tree (did you know the cottonwood is Kansas' state tree?) : 

The evening was perfectly still and at about 50 degrees, it was a lovely night to be outdoors. I was snapping photos as the sunset changed from pink to peach to liquid gold when I felt the merest touch of a breeze on my right cheek.  I turned toward the north and was instantly greeted by a cold blast of wind! Leaves began pelting me and I shot this little video:  

It would have been a lengthier film, but a leaf whapped me in the forehead and I thought, "If that had been even just a small twig, it would have really hurt.  A branch would hurt more.  Maybe I'd better go inside!" I was cold anyway; the temperature had dropped several degrees in the span of just a few seconds.  

I've never experienced a more rapid change of weather. I've often heard this statement: If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait five minutes.  On this November evening I didn't have to wait that long!