Quick, what was the date of the final leaf drop of deciduous trees last fall? Even if you keep a garden journal that day might not have the same weight as that of the first tomato you picked or the first trout lily bloom you spotted in the woods.
I've mentioned before that we seem to be better at commemorating beginnings in nature than endings.
Researchers studying deer would like to know what that date was last fall, presumably to know how long deer have been without that source of forage (the succulent buds of this coming years' growth are their current food).
Fortunately we have dated photos that show fall color still on a few trees before November 5 but not after November 10. And we have notes on my timesheet from when I was pulling out weedy Norway maple seedlings, among the last of the leaves to drop (and therefore a good time to spot them).
