The first day of autumn landed on this past Tuesday at 9:30 AM just a few days after my 66th birthday. Usually the seasons seem to pass quite uneventfully from one to the next with only minor irritating glitches, soon forgotten. This past year though has definitely been a doozy.
It began of course with the advent of COVID-19. The reaction in the press was comparable to a nuke being dropped. The television news services tend to go over the top anyway, especially in recent years, but this has really been unprecedented. With so much information and mis-information flying around, it’s been hard to make sense of it all. But peering past all the hype and hysteria, it is possible to glean a few useful insights. COVID has a fairly low mortality rate overall but by the same token, it’s not something to take lightly. As a sixty-plus year old individual I am definitely taking precautions though I refuse to get into a lather about it. But how does the current epidemic stack up overall with pandemics of earlier years?
Looking back into the past, smallpox mortality rate was 30%, diphtheria 10% (though in young children it could be as much as 20%). Ebola runs very roughly about 50% and bubonic plague much the same. COVID seems to be just below 5% though statistics are still a little conflicting. Seasonal flu usually runs about .1%. What to do? Well, basically what they have been recommending: wear face masks in public areas, practice social distancing, do a lot of hand washing and recognize that epidemics, even the worst ones, will eventually run their course.
Then there were the ‘murder hornets’ arriving on our shores. These ghastly creatures are nearly two inches long with a stinger they can use over and over, unlike a honeybee which can only sting once. One victim likened it to being slugged in the jaw by Mike Tyson. It’s a pretty brutal critter. Given previous attempts to rid ourselves of invasive insects such as gypsy moths, Asian tiger mosquitoes, emerald ash borers, marmolated stink bugs, Formosan termites, fire ants and African bees, thing don’t look too promising. One can only hope that because of its size this in-your-face invader will be a little easier to track down and at least keep under control.
Then there’s the drought. While we’ve been able to avoid wildfires of the sort they’ve been having out west, still we are at risk. This past summer in New Hampshire has been the driest in several years. While southern New Hampshire has been the worst hit, here in the northern part of the state, it has been well over a month since any measurable rain has fallen.
A number of towns, including where I live, have begun ordering restricted water usage meaning no car washing, no lawn or garden watering, etc. Since it’s the end of the growing season here that’s not a big deal. The weather report promises a chance of rain next week but it likely will not put much of a dent in the deficit. If anybody knows how to do a rain dance, please step up to the plate and help out!
Now that a few frosts have hit, leaves are beginning to change color. It’s hard to say if the drought will affect the quality of the color. It’s still a bit spotty right now but will likely increase and peak in just a few short weeks. Then we will know better.
Autumn is usually a pretty decent time of year. The weather is not so torrid as during the summer. Mosquitoes have been squashed by the fall chill. If I time my morning walk right, I am likely to see some flocks of geese going overhead on their way south. While trick-or-treating will likely be canceled due to the COVID epidemic, ghoulish lawn decorations will no doubt go up to mark the arrival of Halloween.
But we’re not quite out of the woods yet. Unfortunately there will still be one final catastrophe to face before Thanksgiving. Yes, I mean the national election. Obviously the less said about that the better.
Take care all.
