This has been an exceptionally warm and dry summer and fall, affecting everything in the forests, fields, and wetlands. Fall colors have been rather drab this year. Wetlands are drying up. Many trees began dropping their leaves in August.

September and October are times when the forests are full of colorful fungi. I always look forward to going out and looking for mushrooms. But this year mushrooms of any kind are far and few between. A few puffballs have popped up, and some Amanitas tried to grow before succumbing to the heat.

This slideshow showcases some of the colorful fungi that should be here, but for lack of rain, are not.