My house has a green belt on two sides that contains five full-grown cottonwood giants and many lesser offspring.
June is snow globe season here. It's glorious.
Sure, I need to annually get up on my roof with a leaf blower to cleanse it of all the shedded cottonwood seed pods and in last December's bombogenisis (thank you for this word!) cyclone, the closest of these five trees dropped a mighty 20-foot branch on the roof from 60 feet up, however...
...a few years ago, these same trees gave me the experience of witnessing the inch of cottonwood seeds covering the cul de sac in front of my house roll up like a rug when wind started blowing. That was pretty amazing.
More amazing was this year's windy, warm Memorial Day. My back door was open. I came in from outside and found a perfectly spherical clump of cottonwood seeds the size of a ping-pong ball just inside the door. No doubt, it formed by the wind blowing seeds in eddies as if making a snowball.
I picked it up and took it outside to show my friend, who was using my tools on a car project. My fingers made a cage around the fluff ball. Before I could reach him, a gust of wind blew it out through the unrealized gap between my thumb and pinky.
It rose like a bubble high up into the air. My friend was able to see it for a moment from a distance before it disappeared.
The event could be described with physics, but the experience felt magical.
I would have found the perfect clear cubic box to showcase the fluff ball in my curiosity cabinet of natural science, but clearly it had more exciting adventures to pursue.
One of the great aspects of cottonwoods is that there are so many amazing features to write about. Thanks for mentioning this one and for getting the library to carry my book.
Never knew the association with "Balm of Gilead." It doesn't seem to be the same Biblical plant and balm, but rather an example of settlers applying that soothing reference to new landscape of the west.
I have to thank you again for writing widely. Yesterday walking from ferry to light rail I found myself beside the Exchange building and took a moment to reach into deep time with the help of that Morton Gneiss. Good old gneiss!
I see a description(https://buildingsdb.com/WA/seattle/exchange-building/#structure-materials) of the stone that also seems to pull on references to antiquities "marble" and "Romanite" "polished Morton gneiss marble on the base of the building, which then continues on with Romanite Stone in ochre color. "
Using references and connecting to familiar stories (Biblical or otherwise) is such a balm for the weary mind.
Thanks for your note and glad you got to see the Exchange building. Unfortunately, the Morton is not a marble. In the building trade, there seem to be only three types of stone: marble, granite, and other. Alas, it drives geo dorks nuts. Oh well.
I love the fragrance of cottonwood in bloom, and growing up I'd wait for two coinciding annual events: the end of the school year and the cottonwood bloom.
My house has a green belt on two sides that contains five full-grown cottonwood giants and many lesser offspring.
June is snow globe season here. It's glorious.
Sure, I need to annually get up on my roof with a leaf blower to cleanse it of all the shedded cottonwood seed pods and in last December's bombogenisis (thank you for this word!) cyclone, the closest of these five trees dropped a mighty 20-foot branch on the roof from 60 feet up, however...
...a few years ago, these same trees gave me the experience of witnessing the inch of cottonwood seeds covering the cul de sac in front of my house roll up like a rug when wind started blowing. That was pretty amazing.
More amazing was this year's windy, warm Memorial Day. My back door was open. I came in from outside and found a perfectly spherical clump of cottonwood seeds the size of a ping-pong ball just inside the door. No doubt, it formed by the wind blowing seeds in eddies as if making a snowball.
I picked it up and took it outside to show my friend, who was using my tools on a car project. My fingers made a cage around the fluff ball. Before I could reach him, a gust of wind blew it out through the unrealized gap between my thumb and pinky.
It rose like a bubble high up into the air. My friend was able to see it for a moment from a distance before it disappeared.
The event could be described with physics, but the experience felt magical.
I would have found the perfect clear cubic box to showcase the fluff ball in my curiosity cabinet of natural science, but clearly it had more exciting adventures to pursue.
Love your final line!!
I'm surprised you didn't mention the resinous buds which we use to make a soothing oil.
Thanks for your much appreciated weekly column. Our La Conner Swinomish Library, at my suggestion, has your Homewaters on the shelf.
One of the great aspects of cottonwoods is that there are so many amazing features to write about. Thanks for mentioning this one and for getting the library to carry my book.
abscissioning - the most excellent word of the day.
i have just done such after a long day outside in the norwegian weather.
Never knew the association with "Balm of Gilead." It doesn't seem to be the same Biblical plant and balm, but rather an example of settlers applying that soothing reference to new landscape of the west.
I have to thank you again for writing widely. Yesterday walking from ferry to light rail I found myself beside the Exchange building and took a moment to reach into deep time with the help of that Morton Gneiss. Good old gneiss!
I see a description(https://buildingsdb.com/WA/seattle/exchange-building/#structure-materials) of the stone that also seems to pull on references to antiquities "marble" and "Romanite" "polished Morton gneiss marble on the base of the building, which then continues on with Romanite Stone in ochre color. "
Using references and connecting to familiar stories (Biblical or otherwise) is such a balm for the weary mind.
Craig
Thanks for your note and glad you got to see the Exchange building. Unfortunately, the Morton is not a marble. In the building trade, there seem to be only three types of stone: marble, granite, and other. Alas, it drives geo dorks nuts. Oh well.
I love the fragrance of cottonwood in bloom, and growing up I'd wait for two coinciding annual events: the end of the school year and the cottonwood bloom.