wildflowers

October 2026: Garden Joys and Climate “Adventures”

/ Chris Thaiss / Leave a comment

Purple Mums to Red-Pink Dahlias in our tiny community plot, cool, bright October 8

Fall colors on the east shore of the lake, sunny October 26

In this month’s blog:

Garden Joys and Climate “Adventures”
Garden Update:  Colors Galore and Fall Plantings in a Brilliant October
Climate Log:  El Niño Hits the California Coast and Record Utility Costs Plague the Country
Climate Log 2: EV Sales Bloom Worldwide (Except in the Stymied US)
The October 2026 Photo/Video Gallery

Bumblebee feeds in our Wild Blue Asters, our garden, October 23

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Garden Joys and Climate “Adventures”

Red-Pink Dahlias still going strong in our community garden, on a bright and breezy October 23

I was bemoaning last February the 3 solid weeks of sub-freezing temps and immovable ice (“snow-crete”) that covered our region. I was bemoaning through this summer the disappearance of our local turtles and many of our bird species from in and around our hot, humid, algae- and smoke -polluted lake. But, all things considered, I live in a mostly congenial climate here in Northern Virginia–very different from other places on our continent and across planet Earth that are being ravaged by the disasters caused by humanity’s 200-year  addiction to coal, oil, and gas.

An addiction that some humans still consider a blessing, a cash cow, or even  a grand prize. An addiction that most of us in this country seem to be resigned to and have little will power to overcome, even though affordable, renewable ways to defeat it  are right in front of us.

Our smelly algae-thick little lake on a humid, rainy August 5

Here in Northern Virginia, a month like this October has been indeed a weather blessing, as the temps cooled, the humidity dropped, some much-needed rains came to dilute the algae, and our little garden in the community plots bloomed with early fall flowers in a brilliant color display. So we are very lucky here. Though it would sure be nice if our birds returned to be as plentiful and varied as they were, as I’ve reported in this blog, in other recent Octobers.

Elsewhere? Climate Adventures (a much more pleasant term than the “disasters” they are)

But our pleasant October here should not fool us into thinking that it’s like this everywhere, nor that this nice weather here means that Earth’s climate is not steadily collapsing. The Climate Log (two sections below) this month focuses on just 2 of the many ways that we US humans  are suffering from our fossil fuel addiction.

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Pink bloom on huge Hibiscus amid deep blue Wild Asters, brisk, sunny October 19 morning. On October 23, we added a second large Hibiscus, Yellow, that we hope will be as hearty and successful as this one has been since this 2026 spring.

Garden Update: Colors Galore and New Plantings in a Brilliant October

Viewed toward northeast,our Broccoli, Cauliflower, Romaine, Wild Blue Asters, Purple Mums, Petunias,Impatiens, and small Purple Asters on a cool, bright morning, October 8

Atop the fence beside our garden community, a resident Song Sparrow in mid call, cool morning, October 28

The end of September meant our clearing out most of the spring/summer annual plantings that had been so successful and productive: the 5 cherry tomato vines, the mild and hot peppers, most of the herbs (mint, oregano, nasturtiums, tarragon), the resplendent marigolds and zinnias and cosmos,  chives, and the volunteer grasses (AKA “weeds”) that had thrived among the veggies, including Speedwell and Crab.

Fall Perennials and New Plantings

But once these retired annual plants and the trimmed back grasses were dispatched by us to the community compost piles for recycling of their nutritious ingredients, it was time for October planting and nurturing.

The Two Queens: Purple-Red Chrysanthemums  and Wild Blue Asters

The Royal Purple-Red Mums and Wild Blue Asters,attended by Pink Hibiscus, October 23

These two are the stars of the October garden, perennials that bloom now after being green and spreading through the summer. We’ll see how they hold on to their blooms as it gets colder. But this is their time to shine and keep attracting the pollinators, before they rest over the winter.

Bees feed on our stunning Wild Blue Asters on this brisk, bright morning, October 28

New Plantings

The newly planted veggies this year are 4 Broccoli, 2 Cauliflower, and 2 Romaine Lettuces. The Broccoli and Cauliflower we’re planting again this year after the snow-crete in February stopped all growth in early 2026. Here’s hoping for success. The 2 Romaine are a first timer for us. All the new veggies have now been in 10 days and are already double in size (see below). We have our fingers crossed.

And just this weekend (October 24) we’ve added Pansies to our display. Winter willing, these will keep blooming into next year.

Newly-planted Pink and Yellow Pansies, October 24

Newly planted Yellow Face Pansies in garden October 28

And one more perennial herb, our rugged, aromatic Rosemary, whom we planted in early 2025 and who has thrived through two hot, humid summers, stays strong now as we head into the coming winter.

Lush aromatic Rosemary in our garden, into its third year, October 28

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Waves from El Niño crash into homes in Long Beach in Los Angeles County, October 10

Climate Log:  El Niño Hits the California Coast and Record Utility Costs Plague the Nation

These two articles about Long Beach (next to LA) and about San Clemente in Orange County (October 20) are among many from the Los Angeles Times that from September onward have been and will be illuminating the intensifying challenges posed by the Super El Niño that formed in the Pacific in late summer and that moved on to the shores of South and Central America.

Reporters Ian James, Fedor Zarkhin, Hannah Fry, and Noah Haggerty are among the many journalists covering the escalating effects of climate collapse in the West, with James the most prolific of these journalists, through a series of videos as well as articles since 2023.

The winds and waves from the El Niño have now been moving steadily north, eroding beaches and destroying homes and coastal infrastructure from Southern and into Central California. This El Niño may become the most devastating on record because its  intensity has been magnified by the heat dome over the Pacific and across the US resulting from the fossil fuel addiction. So far, this entirely preventable  climate collapse has included

  •  the ongoing drought across at least two thirds of the continent (see map below),
  • record wildfire damage in Canada, in the US Northwest, and across the Plains states,
  • shrinkage of the Colorado River basin to its lowest levels in recorded history,
  • the shut down of farms and ranches in Texas and the Southwest,
  • and almost complete elimination of the mountain snows in the Rockies and other Western ranges (as this blog has reported periodically over the past 2 years).

US Drought Monitor map, October 22  https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

That these devastating effects get relatively little attention in places like ours in the East is a perfect illustration of “out of sight, out of mind.” Because thus far our weather patterns here in the East have just not been as extreme as those in the West and Midlands, we just don’t pay attention.

Moreover, as I’ve noticed in the four years we’ve been living back East since our years in California, sources like the Washington Post and the urban (New York) based media just don’t pay attention to climate patterns in most of the country. In addition, the current President’s persistent denial, defunding, and mocking of climate science and warnings has had a severe dampening effect on the public’s knowledge of what has been happening elsewhere–and that is becoming more dangerous for all of us.

Are We Next? An effect of climate collapse that we do pay attention to: the skyrocketing utilities costs.

New York Time’s report on the causes of record high utility bills, October 19

While the US population has been rightfully blaming the rising costs of gas-powered electricity and HVAC on the President’s invasion of Iran and the subsequent closing of the Strait of Hormuz that has led to both shortages and record high costs of fossil fuels, what’s gotten a bit lost in the turmoil is how the record heat of this summer has greatly driven up the use of air conditioning and its costs.  This New York Times article by Eli Sastow (Oct. 19) focuses on the particularly great suffering of families in Oklahoma, where summer temps routinely were over 100 degrees, and where the utility bills–often over $1000– are putting these families in danger of losing their utilities and potentially their lives.

The Climate Collapse Double-Whammy. These heat-driven utility costs, as the article points out, are affecting American  homes everywhere, and it’s the double-whammy of the fossil-fuel-caused heat records–and the US reliance on fossil fuels to power cooling systems–that is fueling this intense and widespread suffering.

But Here’s the Good News. US folks, at least in some places, are suddenly paying attention to the vicious cycle of reliance on fossil fuels. Even states like Texas and Oklahoma, the traditional centers of oil drilling in the country, are waking up to the dangers of the addiction.

In fact, according to articles in Governing.com and the San Antonio Express News Texas is now leading the US in installation of new solar-powered energy plants, even out-performing California in building these renewable power sources, though CA  still leads by far in solar already installed.

Texas, if you can believe it, now exceeds California in installation of new solar energy plants (Governing.com, June 12, 2026)

Now, for some more good news…

Climate Log 2: EV Sales Set Record Worldwide (Except in the Stymied US)

According to international auto sales journal Elektrec (Michelle Lewis article, Oct. 15), almost 600,000 BEVs (battery electric vehicles) were sold in Europe in September, doubling the record sales reported in June. Globally, September 2026 sales of BEVs were 2.15 million, an increase of 17% over a year earlier.  “The UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and Finland all set new monthly records,” with France’s 80,000 in September sales an 81% increase year over year.

The record heat waves of summer 2026 across Europe killed an estimated 50,000 people (Raymond Zhong, New York Times, Oct. 22). This horror, in addition to the fuel shortages and rising costs as a result of US President Donald Trump’s February invasion of Iran, no doubt intensified the commitment of Europeans to turn away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, including electric vehicles, and so led to these record EV sales across Europe and Asia. European, Chinese, and other Asian automakers continue to lead the world in innovative renewable technologies and sales, as US automakers are left behind by this anti-business Administration.

Not surprisingly, lagging far behind the rest of the world in adoption of EV technology is the US, where, because of his fixated devotion to the fossil fuel cartel,  the President’s elimination of the tax credit for EV sales led to a 44% sales drop in EV sales in the US since 2025, the last year of the $7500 tax credit. So,  while the rest of the world moves forward to adopt renewable energy vehicles and saves money on fuel costs,  US drivers are stuck in the fossil fuel past and must pay the higher prices for gas and diesel brought about by the Iran catastrophe.

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American Crow flies above the colorful north woods beyond the lake shore, October 28

The October 2026 Photo/Video Gallery

First Fall Colors, More Wildflowers, and Returning Turtles (including a Snapper!) here, plus Views of Oktoberfest and Seneca Creek State Park in Germantown, Maryland, another beautifully-maintained part of the Maryland side of the Potomac watershed, where we visited this month. 

Are these two posing? Grey Squirrel and House Sparrow by our neighbor’s feeder, east side, cool, breezy October 30

Colors in view southeast down lake toward downtown, with Red Maple in foreground, October 26

A dozen Canada Geese swim gently in the southeast cove of our lake, cool, sunny October 17

Mallard pair, our first of the season, rest on the log in the southeast cove, cool October 28

Tiny blooms of Hairy Asters, east shore of the lake, October 21

Purple-red Mums and Pink Asters, our garden, cool morning, October 28

Bumblebees feed on our Wild Blue Asters, in our garden, as BlueJays call, breezy October 23

A flock of our ubiquitous House Sparrows are silhouetted on branches along the southeast shore, October 21

Fall colors in the north woods, October 26

Small flock of European Starlings with iridescent russet hues in the grass west of the lake, October 21

Cardinal male hides in California Bay Laurel on the west shore of the lake, brisk, sunny October 17

Gray Squirrel stares at me from grass by the northwest corner path, sunny, clear October 22

Lone Cormorant, yellow-orange and brown, on the log in the southeast cove, beside a Willow Oak and the green lake, cool, sunny October 16

Strange sighting: one of our Snapping Turtles on the north path after a heavy rain. Never seen before out of the lake, October 12

12 Rock Doves relax on the power tower west of the lake, sunny October 22

View of north shore with 3 Red-bellied Cooters on log and Boneset and Red Maple color, on a cool, cloudy October 15

Oktoberfest in Germantown, Maryland, October 10: the parade begins

Ukrainian dancers in Oktoberfest parade, Germantown,October 10

Mexican dancers in Oktoberfest parade, Germantown, October 10

Seneca Creek State Park, Germantown (Md), panorama toward lake and turning trees, October 9

Cardinal male amid Dogwood leaves in Seneca Creek State Park, October 9

Bluebird pair amid branches, Seneca Creek State Park, October 9

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker explores American Elm, Seneca Creek State Park, October 9

Pumpkin display, Lewis Orchards, Germantown (MD), October 10

Pumpkins and Mums display, Loudoun Farmer’s Market, Lucketts (VA), October 10, part of our trip to Maryland

Amur Honeysuckle, berry profusion, east bank of our lake, October 22

Red Maple in fall coat, southeast bank, October 12

Blue Heron, with deep blue feathers and bright yellow eye, watches from north shore, October 26

Mallard pair on log in southeast cove, with fall colors across the lake, October 28

Mile-a-Minute with blue berries, northeast shore, October 16

House Sparrows and Chipping Sparrow at neighbor’s feeder, October 15

12 Red-bellied Cooters on log, north shore, October 16

Fall-colored Cormorant scans the lake, then dives, October 16

And on to November, in hopes for more good news and with so much to be thankful for…

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2025: Tiny Refuges in a Could-Be-Great Nation

/ Chris Thaiss / Leave a comment

Double-crested Cormorant with spread wings scans atop the dead oak on the east bank of our lake, late afternoon, May 29. Usually regular visitors, this is only the third Cormorant we’ve seen this year

In this month’s blog:

Tiny Refuges in a Could-Be-Great Nation
Garden Update: Buds Appear, Flowers Thrive, the First Fruits
The May 2025 Photo/Video Gallery

Our two families of Canada Geese enjoy the late afternoon of May 19 along the Southeast side path

Tiny Refuges in a Could-Be-Great Nation

A truly bizarre scenario: the President of the United States was in the Middle East (May 17-18) meeting with the ruler of Qatar about the possible gift (or maybe sale?) of an unused “luxury Boeing 747” to the President, so that this jet might be retrofitted to become the next Air Force One. The US journalism elite (CNN, Fox News, New York Times, etc.) were giving this “breaking news” their undivided attention.

Meanwhile, back home in the USA, a wave of tornadoes and furious storms left at least 28 people dead, dozens more injured, and many homeless as they passed through multiple states in the Midwest over the weekend. More than 80 tornadoes had been confirmed as of Monday morning, according to USA Today (May 19):

This disaster was big news only on the Weather Channel; a minor story at best on major news sources. And more such storms were forecast for the coming week across the South, Midwest, and into the mid-Atlantic.

I realized that before this President, who took office just four months ago, the disaster at home would have been top news (think of Hurricanes Helene and Milton just last fall), and the nation would be watching to see how the President and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responded with compassion, necessary funding, and emergency expertise. But this President unilaterally gutted FEMA last month and, with nary a thought or prayer, said victimized states would have to fend for themselves now and into the future. So much for compassionate leadership.

Since that weekend, he made no mention of the deadly storms, so focused was he on the possibility of his getting the luxury superjet.

Westernport, Maryland, just one state away, May 14 (Wash Post photo)

It’s easy to understand why he wouldn’t want anyone to care about disasters at home. They just remind people of the fossil-fuel-caused climate change that he says doesn’t exist. So what if people suffer? So what if farms and businesses and schools and hospitals are ruined, and habitats for other creatures are destroyed? For him and for the fossil fuel cartel to which he is beholden, the only thing that matters is business as usual–the domination of US culture by gas, oil, and coal.

What’s particularly sad and strange, as David Gelles writes in the New York Times (“Under Trump, the US Is Alone in its Climate Denial,” May 19), the US is the only rich nation in the world that has allowed the cartel to have such power. In contrast, China, other Asian nations, and Europe keep moving forward with renewable energy. China is only too happy to exploit our nation’s deplorable weakness in renewable energy and so become the dominant energy power in the world.

For the first time in two months, Blue Heron, usually a frequent resident, honors us with a visit on the afternoon of May 29, stalks the north shore, then takes off…

The Escalating Price Paid by US People–and by Our Fellow Creatures

Besides increasing drought (which this blog reports regularly) and the intensifying of

one more result of fossil-fuel poison is the drastic decline of North America’s bird species. The Washington Post’s Dino Grandoni summarized on May 2 the results of a 3-year study reported in the May 2 issue of Science that showed significant decline in 75% of 495 species. “Birds are rapidly vanishing from North America, with dramatic population losses in places that were once thought safe.”

With Allegheny Blackberry blooms in the foreground, I look across the lake at sunset toward the high rise buildings downtown, May 15

I try to think of our little lake community as a tiny refuge for the wildflowers, birds, fish, turtles, bees, butterflies, squirrels, rabbits, and other wild creatures I’m fortunate to take pictures and video recordings of as I circle the lake path most days of the week. And yes, this little lake is still a sparkling gem of a home or nurturing spot for these creatures. But in its fragility–tightly surrounded as it is by suburban sprawl and the incessant emissions of vehicles and buildings–it also mirrors the larger US culture. If we allow that larger culture to continue to be dominated by forces that put glitzy baubles like “luxury superjets” ahead of we the people and the survival of plants, animals, land, water, and air, this refuge, too, will disappear.

It’s just a question of priorities. Will the US achieve the greatness of which it would be capable if we had a sensible, life-generating energy policy? Or will it stay hostage to the cruel forces that are steadily destroying us?

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Zucchini flowers and a growing fruit, our garden patch, May 20

Garden Update: Another Tiny Refuge?

Sage, Thyme, and Strawberries are among the plants thriving in our tiny garden, May 18

In the month since our last update, our tiny plot in the community garden has flourished: warm temps and frequent rain spells have combined with the healthy, well-mulched soil to bring about steady growth that is now producing the first fruits and a rainbow of blooms. As we walk through the coded gates into this multi-acre community of individual plots, each one devoted to the vision of each gardener, I think of it, just as I think of the community lake beside where we live, as a cared-for refuge from the thick network of roads and speeding vehicles no more than a hundred steps away.

Dianthus, Dahlias, and volunteer Buttercups are featured stars in our English-country-style flower display, May 18

The community works because of the dedicated work of each gardener, and our agreeing to abide by rules determined by the community. Unlike some homeowners associations (HOAs) that dictate strictly a single style for any display, this very diverse, multi-national community of we who pay rent for our spaces each year encourages unique visions of what we plant and how we arrange the plantings. Still, (1) we must  be organic gardeners, (2) we can’t grow tall trees, and (3) we must not intrude on others’ gardens or (4) take produce from other folks’ plots without permission. (5) We must prepare our gardens for spring plantings and (6) we must remove exhausted summer plants as winter arrives. (Perennials, of course, stay in and survive underground.)

Our garden plot, viewed toward northeast, on a cool, cloudy May 29

This simple rule structure encourages a multitude of visions. One nearby gardener has labelled her plot a “monarch haven,” with lots of milkweed, for example. Another grows lots of potatoes, another an array of bean trellises, another an explosion of peonies, and on and on. Some have neatly rectangular raised beds, others interspersed veggies and flowers. Some, like us, are almost daily tinkerers. Others show up weekly. Still others plant and then seemingly disappear for a month or more.

Eastern Bluebird perches atop the high fence surrounding our community garden, cool, misty May 29

The structure of simple rules coupled with the spirit of experimentation provides a nice, friendly balance for gardeners. So far we’ve not gone far out on any experimental limb: yes, our first planting was of two blueberry bushes, which were not suited to Northern California’s dry heat; they have done really well so far here.

Blueberry bush bursting with forming berries that we are learning from as they mature, May 18

But most of our plants were ones we had success with in the Sacramento Valley: of flowers, we have thriving stands of dianthus, dahlia, vinca, and pansies. We also benefited from a native surprise: buttercups that emerged in April and quickly spread.

Yellow and Purple Pansies, Magenta Petunias, Yellow Buttercups on the Southwest end of our flower display, May 18

Of veggies and herbs, 3 kinds of cherry or grape tomatoes (juliet, husky cherry red, sweet millions); bell peppers (green, yellow, orange, and red; herbs (mint, English thyme, oregano, rosemary); Swiss chard; chilis (ancho); squash (zucchini, cucumber, crookneck; eggplant.

Our Husky Cherry Red Tomato, late April; now it’s 3 times as big, in a tall cage, and with 30 growing fruit, May 27

We would have planted strawberries–but we saw on our first exploration of our new space in February that we had two perennial strawberries already in ground–these beauties have come back stronger than any we ever planted in California.

Our latest Strawberry harvest from our two perennial plants, May 21 (we and our grandkids have already eaten some!)

Ancho Chili plant, with a tiny visiting ladybeetle (can you see?), May 18

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The May 2025 Photo/Video Gallery: Some Regular Citizens and Guests, and a Few Newcomers to the Refuge

The Serviceberry trees in our community are a haven for birds, especially now that the berries are ripe. I hear so many more birds than we can see, but their calls let everyone know they are here, May 19

Three House Sparrows in the Serviceberry tree, May 27

This Mourning Warbler is a newcomer to our refuge, its bright yellow feather tinged orange at sunset in the dead Willow Oak on the east bank, May 15

I asked this Red-winged Blackbird male to face me as he perched in the Willow Oak on the 15th, but no cooperation. Still, this preening dance at sunset is a classic of surprise.

In the evening shadows near the Southeast path, this fuzzy yellow Canada Goose chick walks to catch up with the family, May 19

Like the Serviceberry trees near it, this Mulberry’s ripe, sweet berries are a lure for many birds, May 17

Our year-round Citizens, the European Starlings love the east bank of the lake, including the dead willow Oak. Another sunset shot, May 15

The Gray Catbirds are all around with their distinctive calls and conversations this month. This one was particularly acrobatic in the birdbath on the east side of the lake, on a very warm May 19

This American Robin on the Southeast side path was deciding whether to mix it up with the Catbirds in the Mulberry Tree on May 19

Whadya know–Robin got one of those Mulberries!

Back to sunset in the Willow Oak on May 15, Eastern Kingbird, a sometime visitor, calls

Our first magical Monarch of the year, in mid-flutter in the Swamp Milkweed by the Southeast cove, May 19

On a warm afternoon, 12 Red-bellied Cooters take the sun on a log along the Southeast shore, May 19

A Whitetail Skimmer, our first dragonfly of the year, enjoys the Northeast shore on a warm May 18

Black-capped Chickadee in Red Maple, southwest bank, on cool, cloudy May 27

Barn Swallow perches on the dam structure in the lake, on a cool, cloudy May 27

Also on Mother’s Day, May 11, Red-winged Blackbird atop the dead oak on the east bank, calls to his mate

Our Mother’s Day bouquet, indoors, May 11. Humans celebrate the day, too

In our garden, Budding Coneflower, Purple Salvia, Juliet Tomato, on that cool, cloudy May 29

Bluejay in vines, west side, cool, cloudy May 27

Our one kitchen contribution this month, Jean’s spanakopita, with spinach and filo dough, just from the oven, May 14. Jean says the hardest part of the recipe is the chopped spinach, which clings everywhere.

A serving of spanakopita with a slice of lemon and candied pistachios.

Oh so fragrant Multiflora Rose, along the east side path on a warm May 6

The two Canada Goose families gather together on the steps along the Southeast path, May 19

Snapdragons on our porch on Mother’s Day, May 11

Lake panorama toward the North end on a sunny, warm May 6

Song Sparrow calls and listens in the Willow Oak, east side, on the gorgeously warm May 6

Growing up fast, Canada Goose chicks begin to grow black feathers as they walk on the south end path, May 27

With still four days to go in May, here’s hoping for a greatness where all the Earth is a refuge.