New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Hard to believe my eyes when I look outside these days. There is no ice left in the Suncook River and my lawn is pretty much bare of snow. The picture of the river with this note is from a week ago and now even the snow pictured is gone after this week's rain.

I drove over to Exeter this morning to a Donald Trump town hall never expecting to get in but wanted to be present. I did manage to talk "saving our moose" to a couple of reporters. Last evening I was invited to the democratic town hall hosted by CNN and I was chosen to be one of the questioners. My question to ask was: "The NH moose population has declined nearly 50 percent in the last decade. What will you do to help save our moose from climate change?" I had to arrive at 6:30 for the 9:00 pm televising. What a long, long wait. I was to be asking Bernie Sanders my question. As the first hour wore on one after another questioner got their chance. I was in que to be the second coming up. Then good old Bernie takes off on a tangent about climate change and swept my chance to ask a question right out of my hands. So no talk of NH moose. So close.

 

But speaking of climate change. Well I know this winters temperatures are mostly being caused by an El Nino. But don't be fooled. This is an El Nino hooked on steroids thanks to climate change. This is my 54th winter in NH since moving from northern Maine in 1962. This is a winter I have not seen before.

 

We have virtually no snow or ice around here save for some very questionable ice on our ponds. And thanks to this week's rain it is now covered in several inches of water. I am supposed to be going ice fishing this weekend. Pretty doubtful from my view the last few days. Our outside conditions are more like mid to late March. All of even the smaller streams are flowing ice free. Just plain unbelievable. Not much of a bad winter unless you happen to be a white snowshoe hare or weasel this winter. Usually by mid March when we have this much open water the wood frogs start their breeding cycle. I can't help but wonder how they will know to stay put until March is really here. I worry about such things. Oh a flock of geese just flew over the house. Yet another sign of spring. False spring I'm sure. How Mother Nature loves to tease my soul some winters.