There's clearly something afoot this season. All the speculation and propaganda aside, if you pay any attention at all to your own local conditions from season to season, and year to year, you've probably made some unusual observations. For instance, I live in NH. The afternoon Sun has been remarkably intense this year. Sure, it's been hot. It's summertime. But honestly, it's not so much the heat as it is the intensity of the Sun that been cooking everything. The Sun's been brutal. Meanwhile, I've never seen weed growth the likes of which we've had this year. Cyclical? Perhaps. I've got weeds and crabgrass literally growing from gravel and rocks.