Last night we had a pretty severe spring thunderstorm.  I do not recall having all these virulent types of storms when I was a kid.  Personally I blame man-made climate change.  Anyhow, we are blessed to live in a verdant, established area of town not rich enough for all the fields to be destroyed and also blessedly on a flood plain.  Therefore we have some stunning centuries-old trees.  I snapped this picture with a heavy heart as I was on my way home.  In the summer the cottonwood trees blow so strongly it looks like snow.  Like mighty giants, they lay felled across the ground, at least a dozen in number.  My little one has remarked upon how sad she finds the sight.  I cannot understand those who want trees buzzed down to get a better view of the lake or think a wild field should look “more manicured” as they mercilessly kill the wildflowers each season.  The American politician Jay Inslee said:

“What is a fish without a river?  What is a bird without a tree to nest in?  What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected?  It is nothing.”

We are not listening to Mother Earth, but she is sending messages in warning.  I pray daily for the well-being of our environment, and I also pray for less stormy weather.