Before You Know It, Autumn's Here

It's funny like that. The summer days were long and hot. It didn't rain as much as it should have. I noticed an aspen leaf was yellowing, the wild flowers were dry and turning brown and it was only August. One morning I woke up, stepped outside the Silver Bullet, and who was there to greet me? Fall.

It just seemed too early for all that change, but perhaps the pattern of the change in seasons is different at such high elevation. I welcome the cooler breezes, crisper air and the energy I seem to have now. I think the birds are enjoying it too, as I'm seeing more species than I did in the summer. They're probably busy feathering their nests and tightening things up in one of the ponderosa pines we call our own.

One ponderosa pine in particular is my favorite. It's taller than the others, the bark is more red in color, it produces brilliant pine cones and I love to lay under it and smell the needles. It's a beauty and I've aptly named it Plume's Pondi. Yes, that's right. THAT Plume. Don't you think that's an appropriate name for a tree? After all, she IS a ponderosa pine tree hugger! The noisy plume is also an inspiration to me and the most vivacious nature lover I know! Her writings on the land, her surroundings, and the appreciation she has for every little thing, every single moment of life, just moves me. Her exuberance for life is heartfelt and genuine and if you're one of the hundreds like me, who can't wait to read what she's gonna write next, you know exactly what I mean. I've never named a tree before, until now. So, I say, if you come across a ridiculously creative and kind human being, name a tree after them! Then hug it!