A Wet Not White Christmas

A cardinal and a downy share a feeder and
pretend the other isn't there

December is the month of the Winter Solstice--the shortest day of the year, the official start of winter. As we've done every year since we've lived here, we got out the candles and the bells and the smudge stick and called on all and whatever Powers That Be to bless Bean Hill and all its living things in the coming year. So far, so good.

As with last Winter Solstice, we had to don, not our gay apparel, but our wellies and rain gear to go outside at sundown for the smudging of the gardens, pond, etc. It's not easy to keep a smudge stick going in the rain, but after several years of practice, we're beginning to get the hang of it. The ritual culminates in lighting the Yule Log (thank goodness it was at least a chilly day!), and quaffing a glass of mead, that stuff Beowulf drank before killing Grendel.

Winter Solstice tools--
smudge stick, bell, and mead

Although no precipitation was recorded for 16 days during December, this ended up being the second wettest December on record in Central Ohio. The near record rainfall cinched 2018's claim as the wettest year since record-keeping began (55.18”). December 2018 joined eight other 2018 months in recording above-average precipitation. 

Aberrant weather patterns and events are signs of a changing climate, so it shouldn’t be surprising that 4 of Central Ohio’s 10 wettest years have happened since 2000. Here at Bean Hill over the last 3-4 years, I’ve observed that not only is it raining more often, it’s raining harder. More times than I can remember, I've described a rain event as "torrential".  Ben Gelber, NBC-4 meteorologist, made the same observation: “Average annual precipitation and the number of days with very heavy rainfall have increased significantly in the Ohio Valley in the past half-century.” (“Columbus’ rainfall record washed away”, Dec. 31, 2018)

Come set a spell

We saw only .06" of snow in a month where we should see 5.1". In what used be a "normal" year, Central Ohio would see just under 3" of rain along with that snow. This near-record December we had 4.45" of rain. The lack of snow wasn't surprising, since 20 days of the month had above average temperature, with 14 of those being significantly above average (6-25 degrees). The month's average high temperature was 4 degrees above the historic monthly average. The month's average night-time temperature was two degrees above the historic average of 27.

As the New Year begins, we continue to see temperatures well above normal and, of course, there's rain. Welcome to the New Year and to the new "normal". 

For a little nostalgia, I've chosen photos from winters past when all our Christmases were white.

A house finch and a gold finch wait for a feeder to be filled

A Cold and Grey November

Rain drops. Always rain drops.

The blog title sums up the month here at Bean Hill. It was not just cold and grey, it was colder and greyer way beyond normal, if such a thing still exists. The month's average high temperature was just 43 degrees; historically the average is 52. The nine degrees difference was the result of having 19 days with temperatures 6 or more degrees below normal. Thirteen of those days had highs significantly below normal (10-21 degrees!). The month's average low was 32, a mere three degrees below the historic average low. 

Kaytee hates her booties. You can see why.

    The low daytime highs were aided and abetted by the heavy clouds that blotted out any sun for 16 days this month. On six other days, the clouds weren't quite as thick and heavy, so every now and again, we'd get a brief glimpse of something that passed for sunlight. The clouds held a lot of moisture which pelted us with depressing regularity. Once again we exceeded the month's average rainfall amount: 4.35" instead of 3.19". We also had 1.57" of snow, almost spot on for the historic average. Out of November's 30 days, only two days were sunny with clear blue skies. Nobody, not even the dogs, went outside without boots on. There were NO walks in the woods, and not a lot in the meadows. Actually, there wasn't a lot of going outside, period. I don't know how the English do it.

Crabapples. Bird food!

There are two good things about this and every November. First it's Thanksgiving time. What's not to love about a holiday devoted to eating anything and everything in sight? And whoever invented pumpkin pie deserves a special place in the history books, if not in heaven. The best thing about Thanksgiving, however, is that it makes me a little more mindful of all the good things that grace my life: Loved ones both near and far, cherished friends, good health, a warm and comfortable home, this beautiful property we call Bean Hill, and the creatures great and small we share it with. I have much to be thankful for beyond pumpkin pie. And I am.

Female Downy woodpecker enjoys
a special treat

The other good thing in November is that Project FeederWatch begins. This is a citizen-science project sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology that we've participated in for years. We set up the spotting scope and several pairs of binoculars and bird watch from the comfort of our nice, warm, dry home. We keep track of the type and number and birds seen over a 48-hour period. The data is uploaded to Cornell, and is used to study things like migration patterns, the effects of climate change on bird movements and populations, the health of bird species. Birds are fascinating, beautiful creatures, and Project FeederWatch provides the ideal excuse to sit and watch them. I hope you'll consider signing on https://feederwatch.org/

Female Red Belly woodpecker knows she's being watched.

Free-Fall into Autumn

Autumn pond, woods, and very red maple

You wouldn't have expected from the way the month started out that October's average high would be normal (but it was). Nine of the first eleven days of the month recorded highs so much above normal (12-23⁰) as to be downright scary---especially when coupled with the news of the latest U.N report on climate change. Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040. Five of those eleven days had temperatures 19-23⁰ above normal; four had temperatures 12-15⁰ above; one day was 7⁰ above, and one a modest 4⁰ above normal.

Then came a big change that plummeted us into a real Autumn chill. The remaining twenty days were mostly below the normal high (but nothing so extreme as those first eleven days). Ten of the twenty days had high temperatures that were significantly below the normal high (8-16⁰). During the second half of the month, we had had the first frost, and then we had four more, interspersed with four hard freezes.

...A cozy fire to keep us warm...

Lots of people around here complain about the cold weather. (Many of them are the ones who dress in thin jackets and flip-flops to go to the grocery store although the temperature is in the 40's.) But when the first frost and freeze come, Ann and I happily stack up the firewood and break out the mulled cider.

Freezing temperatures normally signal the end of the growing season, but no one seems to have told the grass that. Despite the freezes, the growing grass has been aided and abetted by another month of higher than normal rainfall. Although only 1/2" above the norm, this month's extra rainfall came on the heels of a way-too-wet September. The additional moisture was NOT needed!

Frosty zinnia

One thing all the extra moisture did, coupled, of course, with the heat of September and early October, was to retard the development of fall color in the trees. (Fall color is happening later which is additional evidence for a changing climate; last year we didn't see significant change before mid-November!) This year the leaves finally began changing and falling significantly during the last week of the month. In the spring, I always think there's nothing more magical and beautiful than the flowering trees, but then the fall color change comes, and I think there's nothing more magical and beautiful. Nature IS grand, which is why we should be as good care-takers of her as we can each possibly be.

Boo!

Another October nature sight is the brief reappearance of my favorite field bird, the red-wing blackbird. The red-wings leave the early part of August for points north, then stop by for a couple of days before heading south where they'll stay until February. We used to see them gather by the hundreds, perching on the tops of the trees in the woods, but the last three years, only a few dozen stop on the way south. I want to believe the others have just found a better food supply, and that these few are the ones really grateful for the care I took of them over the summer who wanted to give a "Thanks and see ya in the Spring" whistle. Nature is also bittersweet.

                             October colors in the Jersey Woods