The drought ends?

September 10.

Yesterday and to-day the first regular rain-storm, bringing down more leaves, and decidedly raising the river and brooks. The still, cloudy, mizzling days, September 1st and 2d, the thunder-shower of evening of September 6th, and this regular storm are the first fall rains after the long drought.

Already the grass both in meadows and on hills looks greener, and the whole landscape, this overcast rainy day, darker and more verdurous. Hills which have been russet and tawny begin to show some greenness.

On account of the drought one crop has almost entirely failed this year thus far, which the papers have not spoken of. Last year, for the last three weeks of August, the woods were filled with the strong musty scent of decaying fungi, but this year I have seen very few fungi and have not noticed that odor at all, — a failure more perceptible to frogs and toads, but no doubt serious to those whom it concerns.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, September 10, 1854

The first fall rains after the long drought. See June 19, 1854 (“Suddenly comes the gust, and the big drops slanting from the north. . . It rains against the windows like hail . . .Soon silver puddles shine in the streets. This the first rain of consequence for at least three weeks.”);  July 14, 1854 (“Awake to day of gentle rain, — very much needed; none to speak of for nearly a month, methinks”); August 19, 1854 ("There is now a remarkable drought, some of whose phenomena I have referred to during several weeks past.”).