The autumnal equinox, the first calendar day of fall, approaches on Saturday, Sept. 22 with equal hours of daylight and darkness. It is closely followed by the full moon on Sept. 24, this year’s harvest moon, traditionally providing extra light for the fall harvest in many communities. The Cree people of Ontario call it the rutting moon, for the many species of deer—like our tule elk—that breed this season.
Winter brings the annual gray whale…