Murmurations

Today's National Phenology Network webinar is about newsletters.  I sometimes consider writing something on a more regular basis, maybe a Substack.  

The natural science news of the day is the massive solar flare.  On Tuesday it resulted in an aurora that was visible (barely) in the middle of Albuquerque.  The Kp index was 8.67! A repeat was predicted for Wednesday and we were on hot standby.  Unfortunately, it was much weaker with a Kp index of 7.3.  If I'd had the energy, I would've driven north to get a better view far from city lights.  There were reports from rural New Mexico of pretty solid red washes across the sky.  

My buddy Ric was following my aurora-chasing antics and he reminded me that the International Space Station was going to be visible overhead.  Right on schedule it appeared, crossed the NW sky, and faded out as it entered Earth's shadow.

Fall color has been tremendous this year.  Maybe it's due to the long, mild autumn and helped out with some much-needed rain in Sept.-Oct.  We still haven't had a killing frost and the official ABQ weather station has yet to record first freeze.  

My 38-year old bonsai Ginkgo is out in the open and its leaves turned first.  The younger Ginkgoes in training pots under the Chinese pistache are about 2 weeks behind and still holding on to their leaves.

Fallen Ginkgo leaves collected and brought inside.

Ginkgoes behind the still-flowering Salvia and mums.

The forecast is for a cold front rolling in over the weekend, but it's a maritime one, so not particularly cold and possibly wet.  We need the moisture.  

In other non-botanical news, the government shutdown is over with 8 Dems folding.  The base is furious.  The only good I see is that the GOP now fully owns the huge increase in health insurance premiums and that Adelita Grijalva was sworn in to the House.  The Epstein discharge petition has hit 218 and how the entire House will be on record as pro or con pedophilia.  Hide and watch.