From: Cindy.Cole@f152.n321.z1.fidonet.org (Cindy Cole)
Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher
Subject: Global Environment Watch
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 10:12:54 PDT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:321/152 - SpaceMet North 2, Greenfield MA

She:Kon Kwe Kwe
    Autumn  continues to fall into place.  All the deciduous trees , except the oak , have lost their brilliant plummage.  Just last week the chilling wind plucked the last glorious colors from the maples.  The mountain side now has the famous purple majestic color and one isable to see the trees in their most powerful and simple form.  Lots of leaves to rake and am only hoping the weather will hold and maybe the wind might beat me to it.  
     This is from Cindy in Ashfield, MA .  I am in part of the United States called New England, reknowned for beautiful foliage, maple sugar and "if you don't like the weather now, wait a minute".  I am about 130 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean due west.  I am about 42 degrees 30 minutes North and about 72 degrees 46 minutes West ,
     I teach in the town of Charlemont wwhich is North west of my home. It is about 42 degrees 37 minutes North and 72 degrees 52 minutes West.  The school is on the Deerfield River and nestled behind the school is a ski resort, Berkshire East.  Our students ski their in January and February.  To date we have not had snow, but in the higher elevations last week one of the small hill towns got a dusting.  Our area is rural and the regional high school serves 9 towns each town encompassing about 25 square mi
les remember this is hilly terrain and there was no such thing as a straight road back when stage routes were constructed.  These routes have become the major roads and still maintain their curvy qualities.  The statement " you can't get there from here" is often true.  Makes for some interesting driving when you get ice storms.  Usually school is delayed or called off on those days.  We don't usuallyhave to start worrying until after Thanksgiving, 4th Thursday in November.  This worry usually continues un
til April.  In the last 10 years ice storms have been a bigger problem than snow storms.  I miss the good old two foot storms .
     We have not had unusually wet weather.  My students do stream monitoring and over a three week period we have only had rain twice of about 10mlg.  Full moon was gorgeous and over the weekend a group of women joined together for a sweat beside the Deerfield  River.  
     Migrations of small birds have continued.  Blue jays are back in abundance.  Finally the shy female cardinal has made her appearance and the my husband has seen the tufted titmouse and the towhee.  The grossbeaks are back and the feeders need to be filled daily.  Sunflower seeds are the most popular.
     Squirrels are indecisive as always and many don't make it across the road.  Other road kill(ugh) are possum, and porcupine.  An outbreak of rabies in the southeastern part of the state has made raccoons a rarity.  My son saw several deer in the meadow across the way.  I hope they become shy again as musket season just opened.  To be followed by other varieties of weapons used to take down the four legged ones.  
     Garden was plowed under last week and today we will sow winter rye to replace some of the nutrients depleted during the growing season.  Just got a few cord ofwood to keepthe homefires burning.  Days are getting shorter.  Sun rises around 7:00 and hides around 5:00.  They will continue to decrease until December 21 at which time manyof us rejoice as we know there will be spring.      Sken:nen


--  
uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!321!152!Cindy.Cole
Internet: Cindy.Cole@f152.n321.z1.fidonet.org