New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Undressing the Suncook River, getting ready for winter

Friday 10/24/2008

How quickly the Suncook River is undressing from its glorious fall colors in preparation for winter. Despite the lack of any real wind driven rain or even much wind for that matter over the last week, the maples have nearly completely shed their leaves from my view here. The oaks up river a ways and those in the distant across the meadow and corn field down back still have their leaves and muted yellowish to shades of brown leaves. But how we had color this fall. Maples in Concord yesterday still held sway to their gloriousness when I drove thru yesterday and even a few could be seen when I was in Portsmouth later in the afternoon. But for the most part our colors are now slowly fading into "the winter look". The hillsides are looking more like a scene from a Thanksgiving picture. Browns rule the forest canopy now. Still a glorious time of year.

The first hard frost of a week ago has killed off my lone tomato plant along the south side of my house. Last year I was picking cherry tomatoes from plants here until early November. I have had a plant or two here for most of the last 30 years. Back in the 1980's these plants would normally be hit by frost by mid September.

No doubt the frosts have put most of the amphibians to bed for the winter I did see a couple of frogs crossing the road one rainy night this past week. The last couple of mornings have been down into the low 20's here no doubt pushing the remaining frogs into winter slumber. I have been seeing plenty of skunks on the move lately. Including one running ahead of me into my breezeway the other night! I had just gone out to help my daughter load her two girls into the car and my wife had just backed out of the garage. I think the skunk had been under her car as when I headed thru the garage back into the house I ran right into this skunk heading for my kitchen door as well. Luckily the door was shut and my dog was still inside. I simply back tracked and went around the outside to my deck then coaxed the skunk out of the breezeway and back out thru the garage. What a catastrophe was avoided by shear luck. Things sure could have gone differently. My wife could have run over and injured/killed the skunk in the garage which would have made it spray. My kitchen door could have been left ajar which is where the skunk would have gone. My dog could have been outside as she usually is when folks are leaving. As I always say" You have got to know when you are having good luck." Life is good!