Woods Wanderer

The fall foliage is reaching peak here in the Champlain Valley. The color isn’t too bad, but it’s muted this year. That’s because of the ongoing drought in New England. The rivers and streams are as low as I’ve ever seen them, the earth is parched, and the trees are stressed as a result. A lot of them have browned out and have dropped their leaves prematurely.

Judy and I went for a ride into the mountains about ten days ago, up through Ap Gap and over to Highway 100. Judy took some photos, but none of them were keepers. The foliage was underwhelming to say the least.

The hikes I’ve done here in the Champlain Valley since then haven’t been much better, though I did see some pretty good color today, banging around in the local town forest. A light rain fell as I hiked and, I must admit, I was more excited about that than I was the foliage. We need rain –– a lot more of it.

I don’t like it. Can’t imagine how people live with the dryness out west. Here in the northeast, one expects a certain lushness predicated by moisture. The northern forest is usually wet, especially in its lowlands and hollows. One of the reasons I live here is because moss, ferns, ponds and ephemeral streams are commonplace.

The drought will end soon we Yankees keep telling ourselves. It’s not normal. Then again, what is these days? We’ve seen two hundred-year floods during the past fifteen years, a lot more temps in the 90s than usual, and winters aren’t as snowy as they used to be. I’m trying not to worry. Today’s foliage is nice, but we need a good soaking rain –– ideally a couple weeks of it. Fingers crossed.

Tags: climate change, drought, fall foliage, New England

With the Autumnal Equinox fast approaching, I go for a walk in the woods to celebrate seasonal change. Yesterday’s high was 85, but this morning I’m wearing a flannel shirt and barely breaking a sweat. My long-haired German shepherd isn’t even panting. We both welcome the chill.

It’s been a hot, dry summer here in northern Vermont with near-drought conditions. The run of 90-degree days back in July reminded me of my childhood in Ohio. Some of the flowers my wife and I planted in the spring have burned up. I’ve watered them more than usual but hesitate to do too much of that since the water comes from a well. No, I can’t say I’m sad to see the warm season coming to an end.

There are patches of color in the forest understory but more brown in the leaves than usual. Overall the early fall foliage looks a little bleached out.  That could change dramatically during the next couple weeks. While more summer-like heat remains in the forecast, temps can drop fast like they did last night. This time of year is full of surprises.

During my walk, I spot the yellowish-brown leaves of false solomon’s seal. Seems like I was watching the spring wildflowers bloom a short while ago. Yet here we are now on the other side of the growing season. With each passing year, it feels like summer goes by a little faster despite the number of hot days. But that’s only how I perceive things in my advanced years. Nature has a different sense of time – one I can’t even imagine.

Sunlight suddenly breaks through the canopy, illuminating the still mostly green forest. I was in a funk earlier this week, but now each step I take forward feels like affirmation that life is worth living. So it goes during every woods walk regardless of the season. The days are getting shorter but that’s okay. The natural cycles are a good thing. I celebrate them, reveling in the present.

Tags: autumnal equinox, drought, heat, seasonal change, time, walking