WINSTON WEEKLY©[1]

October 26, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 43

WONDERS OF FALL[2]

Although October is the tenth month, it originated from the Latin octo or “eight” as it was the eighth month of the ancient Roman calendar. Lunar cycles were the basis for the Roman calendar before combining solar cycles to form the twelve-month calendar.

As trees lose their leaves, streams and brooks rise and the ground becomes soggier because trees no longer consume the same amount of water needed for photosynthesis. Foggy fall mornings are frequent as the atmosphere has more time to cool down and approach the dew point, the temperature at which the air becomes saturated, and water vapor condenses into fog. Autumn fog helps protect crops, serving as a blanket on clear nights as it traps heat near the ground. Water vapor releases heat into the air as it condenses into fog, protecting vegetables from freezing temperatures. It also hydrates plants, providing another form of protection against frost.

From ghostly geese floating on ponds to the sunlight piercing through valley fog, fog allows one to experience nature through a different lens. North Dakota attracts an abundance of geese in the fall, including the Prairie Pothole Region, the Missouri River Basin, and Lake Sakakawea. Canada geese are the most abundant species in North Dakota. In eastern and central regions, snow geese pass through, along with cackling geese, a smaller relative of Canada geese.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Create a crossword puzzle or word search with a “wonders of fall” theme or take a morning hike in a valley or near a pond, lake, or river.

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[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2]Resources: Mike Jacobs and Erik Fritzell, The Duck Factory: A History of Waterfowl in North Dakota, The North Dakota Game and  Fish Department, 2019; April Pulley Suyre, Feel the Fog, Beach Lane Books, 2020; Introduction to Calendars – Astronomical Applications, https://aa.usno.navy.mil.