There is a west wind today. Love its gentle breezes. It looks like it is snowing outside. I counted 12 cottonwood trees around our little lake. Why would they plant those in the city? I've always heard they should only be planted in the country which is in evidence this week. There are two huge ones in our backyard. The pips are floating everywhere, in the lake, the gardens and yards and we'll have to pull the housing off the air conditioner to hose it out of there.
In Greek mythology, Zephyrus was the bringer of the west wind (usually a gentle breeze). So unusual in OK as the wind is legend here.
I always sang the song They Call The Wind Mariah to my babies when they were small. It was part of my repertoire to get them to sleep at nap and bedtime. Written by Alan J. Lerner, it was a cowboy kind of song; gold prospectors longing and wistful for home. Also sang Where Does The Wind Come From. It's another campfire song and I was a Camp Fire Girl once. Guess that is where the tunes came from.
This little leaf bract contains a millionbillion tiny cotton bolls, each holding a seed.
This little leaf bract contains a millionbillion tiny cotton bolls, each holding a seed.
Enjoy your mother's day weekend.
41 comments:
The photo is beautiful w/ your story today:)
Happy Mother's day for Sunday..to a great mom/nana:)
Beautiful post, Donna - I can feel the cotton pips floating in the mythical breeze ;))
Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day as well! xoxo
Cottonwood fluff days are different from Spiderweb Days---each tiny seed parachute floats independent and sure, away from the pack, or melding to form a cloud.
I love this rite of Spring, with the tiny seekers driving onward with all their gossamer force; the sheer weightlessness is their greatest strength. Just standing in the onslaught is a marvel, with the unfelt little puffs carrying thoughts and dreams and whole Who-worlds hither and yon.
Have a dancing, floating, flying Mothers' Day!
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Cottonwood Trees do well in the Desert but sadly City encroachment cut most of the most magnificent ones down. I have a Grand-Daughter named Mariah and I've always loved that Name due to that very same song, of coarse most people now think she's named after Mariah Carey... LOL... Dawn... The Bohemian
I remember that song! And wasn't there a Wayward Wind?
I also remember They call the wind...
I don't think we have Cottonwood Trees here. Are they used, or decorative?
Very light wood used by the Navaho for making Kachina dolls. Very tall and large, the leaves turn in the wind like Aspen leaves. They are pretty, and good for a shade tree, but the pips I mentioned are everywhere.
I bet you there is.
I had never heard that name before the song. Pretty to have a song named for her.
Just the fluff in the city. Magical in the country and the best shade tree.
You too Amanda. Loved reading about Zephyrus, but could't fit it all here.
Is it Mother's Day in Canada? If so, I know you and the girls and littles and Jacque will have a wonderful day too.
Donna, thank you so much for this post. It took me right there, and I could feel the wind. I do love that Mariah tune, too.
Before now, I don't think I have actually ever before seen a cottonwood tree bract. Thank you so much! xo
I love the look of these trees, but they make me sneeze! lol
Oh Frances. What I love about you most is how everything, both great and small, enthuses you. I have bought and sold old kachina dolls before and you would be so surprised how light the dried wood is yet it holds up such huge trees.
You'd probably really be sneezing right now. OK is one of the worst states in the union for pollen etc. The way the heart shaped leaves turn about on the tree is what, I think, makes it so popular.
Have a very happy Mothers Day
Thank you very much Doc. You are so sweet. And to you and the Mrs. and littles too.
You were a Campfire girl?! So was my sister, they used to have meetings at our house. Those were the days..." They call the wind Mariah", a fantastic song, I have always loved it, I believe the first time I heard it was in movie "Paint your Wagon". Now, I'll be singing it all day.... drat! Happy MOMS day!
I enjoyed your post and your photo with the wind. I thought about the “wind” songs I used to sing to my daughters when they were small. Both were in French. One was called “V’la le vent” or here comes the wind. It is an 18th century children song that came over to Canada and was adopted in Canadian folklore. It was part of the repertoire of songs performed by musicians of the 18th century French Army. Here is a link to hear it: http://comptines.tv/v_la_l_bon_vent .
I did not realize until I went to England that a song I knew in French, called “Vive le Vent” or viva the wind, was American in origin and was called Jingle Bells. In French the lyrics of Jingle Bells are about the wind. I’ll translate it – vive can be either viva or long live:
Vive le vent, vive le vent, Viva the wind, viva the wind
Vive le vent d'hiver Viva the winter wind
Qui s'en va sifflant, soufflant that goes whistling, blowing
Dans les grands sapins verts. In the great green pines.
Vive le temps, vive le temps, Long live time, long live time,
Vive le temps d'hiver ; long live winter time ;
Boules de neige et jour de l'an; Snowballs and New Year’s Day;
Et bonne année grand-mère. And happy new year grandma !
Funny Jeri, though I know how you feel getting songs stuck in your head. Almost like water torture. Hope your day is full of babies and gardens and time to catch your breath. Most people know about the Girl Scouts but not the Campfire Girls. I learned a lot from them.
Oh, I never heard that song and loved that you took the time to teach it to me. I took two years of French in high school and remember a few of the words. I can read it better than speak it which is probably backwards. I'll go listen to the link. Thank you.
I love cottonwoods. they are glorious trees. Houston outlawed them some years ago and cut down all the ones on public property.
Love your moving picture of the gentle breeze - it has been beautiful here these last couple of days too.
Oh my. We had a giant one in the corner of our yard in Bellaire. I am sure the neighbors hated it. I think it was the biggest one I've ever seen.
Oh Elaine, I am glad as these days are turning. Have you been able to get back into your home? Sure hope so.
Yes, we are back in but nothing much has moved forward as it is still drying out, the men came and tested the walls, still 50% - but that's definitely better than the 100% that it was.
Olá,
amei teu blog, cheio de lindas histórias e coisas bonitas.
Minha mãe também cantava assim para nós quando eramos criança. Saudade dos bons tempo.
Aqui aonde moro tem sempre vento. O vento norte traz calor , o vento sul frio. Mas o famoso vento da região é vento minuano que corta tudo, pois esse é muito frio.
Tenha uma ótima semana.
Ola Anaja. So nice to meet you. I will have to figure out how to translate comments. Frio? I will look that up as I have heard that before.
Each seed has so much potential. I often discard of the seeds from the maple trees that infiltrate my garden, but I think the next time I handle some, I am going to take a closer look; there is life in there, possibility, hope. Thank you Donna for coming to visit me!!!
Donna I have never seen a cottonwood tree before. Heard of them but they don't seem to grow around here. I love that song" They call the Wind Mariah". Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day. Hugs!
It's lovely to hear about the cottonwood tree and re-listen to the song your frequently sang. I feel as if I have stepped into America for a few moments! Sarah x
As always, Anita, it is such a treat when you post.
Thank you Deb. Hugs to you too.
Oh Sarah, I guess it is a little slice of times in America.
I read this as a gentle breeze blows outside...I love gentle breezes. It is as if the world is whispering to us, isn't it?
Yes Keith. As I said above, the wind in OK has been known to drive people mad during the Dust Bowl days as it comes down out of the Rocky Mountains across the prairies and plains. Gentle breezes are so nice around here. Thank you for coming to visit.
Hi Donna,
My office is right on the river in town so the parking lot was filled with pillowy bundles of them in the corners a couple of weeks ago. When I was a teenager, my girlfriend and I would go to the park on the river wearing lip gloss and spend the whole time trying to get the little bits off our lips. Thanks for the memory!
Oh Kirsten, that is funny. The top of the lake is covered in them.
I love the picture you used of the west wind. It's so realistic.
Have yourself a wonderful weekend.
Hugs
It's a cinemagraph I googled. You can find out how to make them, but I can't remember where I saw the instructions. Have a wonderful weekend too. We've had a cool front come through and it almost feels like one needs a pair of long pants. But, in OK, that will probably change tomorrow.
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