Cottonwood Season

FIELD NOTE no. 001 

The calendar says summer begins later.

The cottonwoods disagree.

They announce the season quietly. A few seeds drifting across a parking lot. White tufts collecting along a fence row. Bits of summer floating through the air long before anyone thinks to look up.

Most years they arrive without much attention.

But once you notice them, they seem to be everywhere.

A field note is often like that.

The world is constantly offering small reminders that the seasons are changing. Most of them arrive without an announcement. The people who notice them first are simply paying attention.

Cottonwood season is one of those reminders.

The next season usually arrives before we’re ready.

The cottonwoods let you know it’s already on the way.

— Esker