October 13, 2019: The Colorful Season

It's a time of change around the Lakes Region in so many ways, and color is one of the most obvious.

Between the beginning of October and the end of November the world transforms from a sea of green, through a kaleidoscope of  brilliant colors, and ends up in a mellow state of gray and brown.  And then it won't be long before the scene turns into glistening hues of blue and white.

It's the best time of the year to be outside enjoying everything nature has to offer, with cool temperatures, dry trails, no bugs, and beautiful scenery.  We took a short hike up in the Ossipee Mountains at Castle in the Clouds and the colors were quite nice.

Looking across Shannon Pond at Turtleback Mountain

The Belknap Mountains in the haze beyond Lake Winnipesaukee

It's a good time to look down as you walk because the berries of many shrubs are ripening now and they add different colors to the palette, such as the white baneberry plant with its white and black berries on bright red stems.

White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda), also known as "Dolls eyes", grows beneath a dense forest canopy.

All parts of this plant are poisonous, though one source [Natural Medicinal Herbs] does say it has multiple medicinal uses including "as a stimulant to revive and rally patients at the point of death."  Maybe I'll keep a few berries in  my pocket just in case....

On other walks this week I came across two very large hornet nests.

Bald-faced hornet nest.

One, pointed out by a fellow trail worker (thank you JS!) at the Page Pond Community Forest, had been knocked down on the ground and was devoid of insects which allowed a look at close range.

I walked right by this nest, thinking it was just a rock on the ground.

I was fascinated by the intricate design and construction of the nest, especially the subtle color variations.

This nest was most likely built by bald-faced hornets.  Bald-faced hornets are technically wasps, and they make nests by chewing wood into a pulp with their saliva and forming it into the nest.  I would guess the color variations are due to different types of wood they used as the starting material.

One color you don't want to see is black, at least when it comes from smoke.

Smoke from a barn fire on Chase Road.

We saw this column of black smoke late Wednesday afternoon;  it was reportedly from a barn fire on Chase Rd.  It was quickly extinguished by Meredith fire department with assistance from neighboring stations.  I don't know how extensive the damage was, and I hope there were no human or animal injuries.



If you've been in the forest lately you already know it's a banner year for acorns.

An copious crop of acorns is underfoot this fall.

They are abundant and large this year, and when you're in a garage with a metal roof, focused on your work, and a big one slams onto the roof, it just about gives you a heart attack.  Where are those baneberry berries?

I think the red and orange colors from the maples are at a peak in the Lakes Region right now, with the yellows of beech and oak still in the early stages.  And there are more and more ducks arriving to enjoy the scene, adding their own unique color schemes color to the picture.

A flock of wood ducks paddles among the maples.

Enjoy it now before it all segues into those browns and grays of November.