When we drove through Flagstaff years ago and talked with some folks in the local Forest Service office about transferring here, we were told:  “You wouldn’t want to live here.  It’s windy all the time.”  After ignoring that comment and making the move anyway, we’ve discovered that part of it is true.  Flagstaff is a windy town–just not all the time. 

Today is one of those times.  I’m sitting here with the woodstove burning, the sun shining, and the wind blowing.  It’s a typical Flagstaff autumn day. The leaves, that were so beautiful just like week, are littering the ground, ready to be raked.  Yes, it’s windy in Flagstaff but that’s a part of what Flagstaff is.

Last weekend, I was in the forest with my daughter’s family–enjoying the aspen at the height of their glory and having a family picnic. 

This has been an annual event since we’ve lived here, but I noticed a difference in the aspens this year.  The colors are not as bright and there are whole groves of aspen trees that are dead.  I read in the paper this morning that Vermont is experiencing the same situation with the colors of their fall leaves.  It is suspected that it is a result of global warming.  The cold nights–which produce the gorgeous fall colors–just aren’t as cold anymore.  I’ve found that to be true here in Flagstaff.  When we first moved here, we would be burning the woodstove by early October.  This year, we’ve lit it just a few times. 

What could be causing the death of the groves of aspen throughout the forest.  Normally aspens sprout and grow as a result of a forest fire and continue to grow until the pines,  that have filled in, build a canopy overhead once again smothering out the light.  But that isn’t the case here.  There are no large pines in these groves.  So perhaps these moisture-loving trees are a fatality of the drought.

What will the future bring to our forests?  Drought. Global warming.  Massive forest fires.  We’ve seen all of these during the past few years. The future doesn’t look promising.