SEPTEMBER Mushrooms sprout and birds head south "A hush falls over everything. Cool nights bring foggy mornings. You catch movement, hear chip notes, and, one by one, an array of migrating warblers appears. Their duller fall colors are still bright. They aren’t singing, but young birds practice squeaky, gurgly versions of the songs they will master come spring. Insects hum in the meadows. Warm evenings still pulse with katydid and cricket song. Now is the time, especially in conifer and mixed forests, when mushrooms sprout from the earth in all shapes and sizes. If late summer rains waterlog the woods, all the better. The toothy, bright yellow leaves of bigtooth aspen quiver in the slightest breeze. Where fire or logging opens bare ground, sun-loving aspen seeds shoot up fast and start the forest growing again. When an aspen tree dies, the roots keep living and spreading. They are clonal, meaning they will sprout new stems that will grow into more trees, whose roots will also keep spreading and sprouting.” -Kateri Kosek from The Forest Revealed September always makes me a little sad. The migratory birds are leaving and won’t return until next spring. The chilly mornings remind me that it will be a while before summer comes again, but it's not winter yet. This painting is my reminder of the things worth savoring in September. It’s part of my book The Forest Revealed, which comes out on the 9th of this month—so soon! Another reason to celebrate September. Here’s a link to order your copy: THE FOREST REVEALED
