New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Will this be a fickle fall? And what is a fickle fall any ways? Well, for me it is the departure from what most of my 70 plus year life here in New Hampshire has experienced. Fall has historically cooled down quicker than this year. Plus, many years we'd be getting the rain from some hurricane that hit to the South wringing out the last of the storm as just some welcomed water to fill our vernal pools and wetlands for the winter.  Although we've pretty much had ample water all spring and summer to keep our rivers and streams flowing well, my rain gauges have not had much water to dump out of them for more than a month now. Except this morning's good shower into mid-day has plumped up the gauge with eight tenths of an inch of rain. Needed rain despite our growing season near end.

 

No frost in the fourteen-day forecast. When I first moved here in Epsom forty-five years ago you could pretty much count on a killing frost the first week of September. I find it so hard to believe that fall conditions could change so quickly during my life. 

 

But, no matter the temperature it is still fall. And I think the trees actually turned color a little early this year. But one different thing is a number of trees the leaves seem to be just turning brown and dying and just falling off as brown leaves on to my lawn. Just something weirder than usual. And here it is the first week of October with spectacular colors all around us for the most part. Kind of a week early in my mind. 

 

Have you sensed fall yet. I have. No, it wasn't some cold gust of wind, but as I sat on my deck a couple mornings ago reading the paper in the warming morning sun, I just sat back in my chair for a few minutes to actually absorb what was happening. And then I felt fall. The tall red maple just yards from my deck started sprinkling me with those yellow and brown leaves. Almost a tickle like feeling. So, yes, I felt fall.   To me every season has a feel and a smell. Though the heavy earthen fall scent has not wafted up from the forest floor to me yet. But I'm sniffing my days now.  Fall fragrances are fine. 

 

And the lack of frost has left my spectacular tomato crop flourishing in the garden. Despite only planting a dozen tomato plants I have been freezing and canning them like never before. I picked another bucket of tomatoes yesterday and still the plants have plenty left to ripe and pick.  Not a bad garden year and I didn't need to water the garden even once. Just like last year. But last year's tomato crop was a bust. I had plenty of cucumbers to pickle as well. 

 

Very concerning for me this year is the lack of Monarch butterflies I have seen. In fact, I saw my first and only Monarch in town this year yesterday. My several trips to New Hampshire's coast, when Monarchs should be at peak migration, I counted zero. None! I made four trips to the coast from early September into the middle of the month without seeing a single Monarch. This is very worrisome.