Strongly relate to the twin feelings of wonder and alienation. We lived in Berkeley for six years, and I could not believe the scale of plants I had previously encountered only in little pots - geraniums, jades, aloes, rosemaries. But I missed water. You know, random water all around, brooks and little ponds. Thunderstorms, rainy afternoons. It rained so little in the summer that the forests got DUSTY and spider webbed. And did the good people of California really deserve their spring? Had they really earned it?
Katie, this comment was so well timed - right before I read it, I’d been in a redwood grove where I was confused why there were so many cobwebs in the giant trees’ bark, and right after reading it, I walked outside and saw an enormous rosemary bush. Great examples! And lol your point about unearned spring reminds me that one of my LA coworkers used to call a single cloud in the sky “cozy” weather 😂
Strongly relate to the twin feelings of wonder and alienation. We lived in Berkeley for six years, and I could not believe the scale of plants I had previously encountered only in little pots - geraniums, jades, aloes, rosemaries. But I missed water. You know, random water all around, brooks and little ponds. Thunderstorms, rainy afternoons. It rained so little in the summer that the forests got DUSTY and spider webbed. And did the good people of California really deserve their spring? Had they really earned it?
Katie, this comment was so well timed - right before I read it, I’d been in a redwood grove where I was confused why there were so many cobwebs in the giant trees’ bark, and right after reading it, I walked outside and saw an enormous rosemary bush. Great examples! And lol your point about unearned spring reminds me that one of my LA coworkers used to call a single cloud in the sky “cozy” weather 😂
Love the notion of plants and bugs signaling home. I feel that so deeply even though I don’t often think of it!
Having grown up in tropical south Florida, the air doesn’t really feel like “home” to me if it’s not at least 95% humidity and salt-scented.