The autumnal equinox, at 6:04 p.m. on Sept. 22, ushers in a new moon the next day. We will soon look for the late-year meteor showers, with the Draconids in early October. Jupiter will begin to appear at the end of the week as a larger sparkle in the western sky.
Autumn is here regardless of the calendar. Rolling through the redwood forest of Camp Taylor, you will see bursts of color: golden bigleaf maple trees and scarlet poison oak shrubs. Tons of bay and buckeye leaves are drifting to the ground.
Reading through last year’s notes as I prepared this column, I was surprised to find that we had rain at this time last year. The early rain may trigger another round of mushroom fruiting if warmer temperatures return. Hopefully, the rain will recharge streams and water holes to reduce some animal movements. I noticed squirrels and skunks hit on local roadways before the rain and wondered if they were out looking for water in the late-summer heat.
Over the hill, buckeyes and domestic chestnuts are already ripe, while West Marin trees are still developing these large seeds. Plenty of green acorns point to a bountiful season ahead.