Winter - Greg M

Winter by Greg Manata

It was always winter on Planet Winter. Its sun rarely ever shined and, when it did, it was only for a few moments. Most of the time on Planet Winter it was overcast, rainy, and cold.

Scientists on Earth took an interest in Planet Winter. They were curious about the weather there and why it was always so winter-like. The weird thing is that Planet Winter isn’t very far from its sun and there didn’t seem to be any other strange circumstances in place that would obviously result in a very chilly planetary climate. Scientists were puzzled.

Scientists thought that there might be something they could learn from Planet Winter. They thought that by studying Planet Winter, they might discover a way to help combat global warming on Earth. However, since they could not discover the secret to Planet Winter’s perpetual winter-like climate, they soon went back to feeling very pessimistic about global warming.

One day, scientists noticed that Planet Winter suddenly got very warm and the weather got very nice. It seemed like over night its beaches were transformed from snowy wastelands into ideal vacation spots. Scientists looked very closely at the planet and found a large sign that read: This planet has changed its name to Planet Summer. Scientists remained puzzled.

Winter - Aunt S

I'm starting to like winter now that I live in Paso Robles. For one thing, it is not hot, whereas the summers here are tend to be quite hot. Also, the trees change color in the fall, and the leaves are really pretty and brightly colored for a long time, and then lots of the trees are bare and I can see their outlines against the blue sky, and I know that in the spring the trees will turn green again and all my roses will bloom.

I enjoy wearing my cozy jacket when I walk to work. When it rains, I like to see the Salinas River flowing under the bridge I walk across.

Winter

In the winter of her life J.L. Autrey, age 89, is still painting. May we all do the same!

This Winter image is a composite of J.L. Autrey's Christmas card birds and a background of snow, sky and moon by Lucy Autrey Wilson

August of Wind - Aunt S

Herschel Winn was tired of his name. He was tired of spelling his name for people. He started thinking about changing his name. Around that time, reports of other people changing their names started appearing in the news. Herschel was fascinated by the report of the man who changed his name to "In God We Trust." "If he can do that," Herschel thought, "I can do anything." Herschel was intrigued but not surprised when another man was unsuccessful in his attempt to change his name to "F--- Censorship." "You can't really take a name like that to the bank," Herschel reasoned. Herschel wanted to make a dramatic statement with his name without being profane or vulgar. He thought about his birthday in August. He thought about some of his favorite movie titles, such as Gone With the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia. "I know," Herschel thought, "I'll change my name to 'August of Wind.'" He thought about capitalizing the o in "of" as his middle name and decided against it. "I don't care if it makes filling out every form more difficult for the rest of my life," thought Herschel, "e.e. cummings wrote his name in lower case, and I can too. I can do whatever I want. Maybe I'll become a famous author or poet." Herschel went to the court to file a petition for change of name. When the court clerk told him the filing fee would be $320.00, Herschel reconsidered. "Perhaps I'll just use a pseudonym," Herschel thought. "I actually rather like my name. I'm not sure I want to change my name after all." Herschel never did change his name to August of Wind.

August of the Wind - Aunt Jean

It was that kind of a month – the August of Wind. Most of the paint sheared off the side of my car that I had mistakenly left out of the garage. A good deal of the roof went and the chickens had a surprisingly good time flying around in the coop. Who knew they were such athletes!

Since this period had followed the Placebo of June and the Doldrums of July, no one actually expected wind. Quelle unpleasant surprise! We were totally unprepared but have managed to survive as you can tell from this short missive. My hair will probably grow in again at some point. I am, however, looking forward to the September of Soporificness.

August of Wind

Sly, warm and slinky, the August of Wind was one of endless possibilities.
Oh what fun to blow all the ripe apples off the tree at one time,
to lay bruised and rotting under the cruel, hot sun.
And what a delight to blow gently through the garden greens, with her warm breath,
sending the pale green tempting aroma wafting down to the creek where the roof rats congregated.
They lifted their rodent heads and imagined salad for dinner
before a night flying up and down the cable wires and jumping on and off the roof.
The apples nearly gone, the lettuce eaten to the ground,
the August of Wind just smiled. She had more tricks up her sleeve.
Tired of little backyard games, she swept across the State of California
burning down more area than in any year tracked since 1930.
But she was just a summer breeze. What havoc will her dad
December of Wind bring when the warm, silky weather is done?

Lucy Autrey Wilson

August of Wind - Greg

The spring pixies who love to hang out on the blooming flowers in springtime rarely ever come out during the blazing summers. They mostly dwell in shady caves and forests where they can keep cool while the sun scorches the land. However one year there was strong gust of wind in august and it blew the pixies out from their shady hiding spots out into the open heat. These pixies have a particular blend of magic that causes everything they touch to grow rampantly and beautifully. The reason spring is often so beautiful is because of their presence and the reason things seem to wilt a bit in summer is because of their absence.
No one could understand why everything seemed to suddenly burst back into life in the middle of the hottest part of summer. Then they felt more gusts of wind in august which brought rain along. It was as if the plants had all anticipated the strange return of the rain in august and had all started growing and blooming ahead of time. No one would ever suspect that it was really the spring pixies who had been lifted out of their resting places and who had begun to play and frolic in the windy heat of august.