The
leaves have begun to turn around the house.
That’s
a bit unusual… though the northeastern United States has been
providing unusual weather for quite some time.
During
the winter season of 2014-2015, Connecticut, Rhode Island and
Massachusetts enjoyed a stretch with the ground covered in snow
of amazing depth. The reports came out of Boston that the last
evidence of snow had disappeared. And sure… the snow in question
was melting from a massive pile located in a lot used for placing
snow as the city cleared its streets and other areas. Still… the
announcement was made in mid-July.
In
upstate New York the temperatures were beyond ridiculous. One
morning in March an announcement was made that, as I recall, involved
the note that since January 1, 2015, more the two dozen times
the sun rose over a landscape enduring negative temperatures.
And while I may be a bit off (for instance, might have been something
like 23 mornings between the first of the year and March 6th),
the fun reality was this… for the month of February 2015, Syracuse,
New York, reported an average temperature of single digits.
I’ll
say that again.
For
the month of February… 28 days… the average temperature of those
days was below ten degrees Fahrenheit. Heck… the average low temperature,
for the month of February, was below zero. (Yippee!)
And
so here we are, at the end of what I honestly feel has been a
beautiful summer, and the leaves are already beginning to change
colors and curl up… already beginning to fall.
I
suppose someone out there will have some amazing theory or explanation
about what is going on with the weather. You know, something that
investigates how global warming will lower the temperatures of
the ocean… increase snow accumulations… or some other item that
may be fact, may be fiction, but still ignores the basic foundation
of how we treat the planet so poorly.
But
I didn’t come here to discuss global warming or chaotic never-seen-before-in
these-parts weather developments.
I
just so happened to noticed the leaves.
Last
weeks of August, out mowing the lawn, and I’m already beginning
to see leaves all over the yard. First days of September, and
a quick look around confirms virtually all of the trees are already
preparing for autumn. The peak color display is threatening to
arrive early this year.
Lovely.