Snowing in July

Driving along one day early in July I thought I was losing my mind. Little bits of white were hitting the windshield as snow in the winter would. I knew it was summer and I knew it was chilly but not cold enough to snow. The mesmerizing beating of the little white dots had me perplexed. I had to find out where they were coming from. Upon investigation I found tufts of little white balls all over EVERYWHERE. Piles were along the roadside. My porch had puffs piled in the corners, on my doormat. Tufts of white on rooftops and on the green grass. This wind of white continued into July. No it wasn't snow, but the cottonwood tree. However, this is unlike the cotton wood trees I grew up with. The cotton wood trees here have pods that release tufts of white that remind me of the old movie Legend with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara. While in the forest when Tom is showing her the unicorn, the wind is covered with these puffs of white. That is what July in Anchorage is like. The cotton wood trees hang with these pods open, ready and willing for the wind to carry it away. While hiking one day, one of the tufts landed square on my eye.. not a good feeling. The snow in July seems to ending as July ends. I still spy the occasional cotton wood pod still hanging in the tree, but the beautiful snow in July is over for this year. Next year I will be better prepared with eye drops. What a beautiful sight to behold, snow in July.

With love my friends,
Angela