Summer Snow

The Cottenwood tree alone the riverbank was blown down by a storm about 4 weeks ago.
On my lunch walks I would walk by the fallen tree waiting for it to fade away. To my surprise the trees fruits started to split open and masses of cottony seeds were airborne looking like summer snow or cotton balls flying through the air within the last 2 weeks.
Now slowly the trees leaves are deteriorating the rest of the cotton clings to the tree branches wet from rain showers over the last days.
A sad sight. Still I was amazed over how much pleasure this tree brought to me and how it gave of itself before perishing. Workers have chopped the tree in to pieces now so what’s left are the lovely wood logs.
I am glad I have captured the Cotton woods ending life circle.

The Cottonwood tree is a tree that is well-adapted to life on the prairie, however. You can recognize it from afar during the growing season by the shiny leaves that shimmer and shake in the wind.
Cottonwoods can be either male or female. It is the fluffy white seeds produced by the females during early summer that give the tree its name.