Pacific Northwestern Gothic

H.D., from Helen in Egypt

I never really realised how much difference it makes until I went to England and realised that here the change of seasons is an obvious, visible, physical change in the world. Like, everything REALLY IS orange and foggy in autumn! In spring there are flowers EVERYWHERE, so much more than any other season, and the trees really do have all blossom and no leaves. Even if it doesn't snow, in winter there's frost all the time and the trees are bare and the sky is visibly greyer all the time. You don't need to be told "this date is the first day of spring", you can SEE IT (although this is getting way messier and less precise due to climate change).

By contrast, most places in Australia the seasons we're taught feel like arbitrary categories - and is it any surprise considering they're colonial constructs? Orange-leaved autumn and blossom-covered spring is a cartoon stereotype with no relevance on a continent where ALL NATIVE TREES ARE EVERGREEN!! Snowy winters are a joke in the desert, and even sunny summers don't ring particularly true considering that much of the country is in the tropics, where summer means monsoons - not that I've ever seen the concept that WE HAVE A MONSOON SEASON taught at an Australian school.

the 4 season model as you and i know it is a european invention, though 4 season models aren't unique to europe! most notably china has the same type of season subdivision.

Herring spawn at Neck Point Park, Nanaimo, BC

GOAT LAKE BASIN, SNOWGRASS FLATS

Legendary land surveyor Frank Swannell pulls his boat through shallow waters in the Kootenay River.

British Columbia

Firefighters, pilots and equipment operators are mobilized across much of Indian Country in Washington and Oregon, to rein in wildfires that have endangered many tribal communities.

Amidst the powwow season and canoe journey season festivities, multiple tribes are currently being impacted by wildfires, and homes, livestock, pets, and valuables are in danger of being lost.

Above is an article describing what tribes are currently impacted. There is also a lot of information for WA/OR locals on where to drop off physical donations contained within it. If you are unsure of the current status of drop-off locations, check the official website(s) or Facebook profile(s) of the tribe(s) you wish to donate to.

Official Websites

Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Financial Donations

Cedar Fund Wildfire Recovery Campaign

Yakama Nation Signal Peak and Ransier Fire Updates