We’ve had a couple of weeks of chilly, dark days, the breeze stiff and from the north. Yesterday was raw and on our walk through the autumn forest brought with it the first daytime flakes of snow of the season. Today there have been a few breaks of sun but now low clouds have filled back in. So far October has been more like November and we shall see what November brings.
Leaf change here by the lake has followed the pattern of the past few years: reds early, then yellows and oranges taking over and predominating. The pace of change is wildly inconsistent, with some trees leafless while others have barely begun to turn; the landscape looks as though early October and Thanksgiving were occurring simultaneously.
I have found myself engaged in disturbingly frequent conversations about the weather, mostly about how wonderful it was to have summer warmth well into October. Too many people have said to me they would love to have eighty degrees year round. Of course there is considerable New England hyperbole inherent in many of these statements, but a worrisome lack of thought about, or insight into, our local climate and ecosystems appears to underlie much that is said. Even the governor has spoken about how splendid it is to have a much longer growing season; he is apparently incapable of seeing the immense costs we are paying for those nascent gains. Feeling speechless, I am left contemplating our human inability to weigh the impact of our present actions on the future.
Please share your thoughts and join the conversation!