[IveofIone]

Yesterday evening-August the 2nd-I was down on the river catching smallies with crawdad patterns when I looked up and saw a flock of geese heading south. This has been the coolest summer I can remember though so maybe the geese are onto something. We haven't had a 90 degree day yet and many overnight temps have been in the 40's with 2 nights in the 30's.

I'm thinking maybe I better accelerate my firewood program, order the new snowblade for my tractor, plan a Pramathon, order some winter clothes and tie up some Stayner Ducktails for fall fishing. Hopefully we will have a nice Indian Summer and not one of those early freeze-ups like we had a few years ago. That year the lakes had ice on them by Oct 15 shutting down two of the best fishing weeks of the year.

It seems weird to be thinking about fall while we are still waiting for summer to show up. No local sweet corn or peaches yet-what were those geese thinking?

Ive

 

[Kent Lufkin]

Spiders and their webs are all over my yard these days, about a month or more ahead of normal. Bet we're gonna have an early and hard winter this year.

K

 

[Buck]

Spiders and their webs are all over my yard these days, about a month or more ahead of normal. Bet we're gonna have an early and hard winter this year.

K

Ditto on the spiders. I'm already accustomed to walking around my bushes in the yard, while using my arms and hands in sort of a "girl like" circular fighting fashion, trying not to walk directly into another spider web.
On the plus side, I've had to transplant several trees and bushes due to a new driveway i've added at my house. The transplants are doing well (hopefully), mostly due to the cooler than normal temps we've been having.

 

[Old Man]

Well it's hot here also. And I haven't had a day in the 90's either.. It stays in the 80's range most of the time.

 

[riseform]

Spiders and their webs are all over my yard these days, about a month or more ahead of normal. Bet we're gonna have an early and hard winter this year.

K

Walked into two this morning already. It feels like October.

 

[Gary Thompson]

Long range forecast is cooler.
I have kept track of the weather for years now and things are not what they used to be.
Wider swings, shorter winters, longer summers one year, then the reverse the next.
Climate change is a real thing.

 

[Brady Burmeister]

Quite different around the rest of the globe. This June was the hottest on record worldwide, and it certainly felt that way here in Ohio. Lots of 90+ days, and July seemed even hotter. I can't wait for fall....

 

[wetline dave]

Geese flying south may have been out for a feeding flight or maybe just moving to better grazing areas.

The first flights of geese migrating are almost always speckled bellies and start in September generally. At about the same time on the east side flights of Cinnamon teal will start heading to warmer climes and Wood Ducks are not far behind. The Sandhill Cranes start moving about the end of Sept or first part of October.

It takes some serious weather to move the Canadian Honkers or a lack of food up north. Water has to be frozen over and food sources covered with snow before they start to move in earnest.

First year hatchlings and hens like Mallards and Gadwall will start moving down about the end of October and the old boys when the water is frozen and the food is scarce.

Dave

 

[smc]

There were southbound geese over here on Sunday, the 1st. None since. Maybe they were relocating from the fires up north?

The spiders and their webs are numerous though, that's fer sure. I can do without heat in the 90's around here so I'm not complaining about that. but I'm sure we'll get our share in August.

 

[Split Bamboo]

I have seen some flying south....then they fly north...then they land on my dock and crap all over it!

 

[Mumbles]

I'm already accustomed to walking around sort of a "girl like".

What?
Sorry Frank, I could not resist.

 

[Dick Warnke]

Ive, Did you mention Pramathon? Got any thoughts on when and where yet?

 

[Lugan]

Here's another one: Last week I saw a large flock of crows near my house. Crows form large but loosely-organized flocks all winter, but that normally only starts late August or early September. This was very early.

 

[IveofIone]

Yes Dick, I mentioned a Pramathon. My thoughts on this are probably to go to Okonogan County again this fall. It will be my final trip over there as I have been going for over 20 years now. After this trip I hope to fish closer to home and drive less. I just turned 72 last week and those long lonely road trips have lost their appeal.

Time wise I plan to go sometime between Oct 7 and the 14th. Hunting season starts on the 16th and I want to be home by the fire watching football by then. The Lost Lake campground should be real quiet at that point and the brookies in their fall colors. I might want to take a shot at Blue Lake for Lahontan's also. I think I might have cracked the code for them this past spring. And if I have anything left in the tank by the time I head home it would be nice to spend a night at Long Lake and catch some cutties. This is all pie in the sky at the moment as nothing is firmed up but the dates. Any ideas?

Ive

 

[Lugan]

And the answer is: La Nina!

NOAA has just declared a shift from last winter's El Nino to La Nina now. Get ready for a cold and wet winter: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/424615_nina05.html

 

[Panhandle]

Its been a wet spring and mellow summer. My yard is still green for Christ sake. I like it. It was 96 today, though, and expected to be the same tomorrow. I'm already compiling cords. Seems like we really only get 2 months of real summer anymore and the summers are being used to prepare for 9 months of snow cover. We never rest.