Hello Beverly, I'm surprised with similarities of your description with what we live every day here. Three volcanoes erupted with the last 8 years that have had direct effect on us, the first Chaiten in 2008, the second Puyehue, just across our border perhaps no more then 60 kms away from home april 26 2011 and the last april 24 this year. The last was just baby powder that covered everything with very dusty ashes. The previous one threw tons of volcanic debris some the size of pebbles ,most a very coarse sand and days long of fine ashes that covered everywhere blown east and west reaching N.Zealand and southern Brazil! We are still cleaning up and restoring our gardens. During some days our sheep had to be kept inside the barn all day long, to avoid the dense dust in the air and later only allowed in the corrals. before a relieving rainfall washed the grass blades of the pasture. In my early years as a student in the early 1970's a professor, predicted that the world's climate would be changing very fast and warming. His prediction and admonition ended by being precise and ever since we settled in Bariloche we haven't had a growing season quite the same than any other. Perhaps that explains my quest for patterns around the world from which we can all learn. Perhaps it may be a losing pursuit. For instance some wild bees and domestic bees have disappeared almost fully. Last year pollination was done by bumblebees, two introduced species that crossed over from Chile. On the other hand Argentine red army ants have consistently increased their populations since we started 25 years ago, specially the ashy years. To his prediction I can add another variable: extremes are becoming much more frequent. Plants seem bewildered and sometimes have weird behavior. Last summer our tart or sour cherries flowered twice the second time with ripe cherries on the same branch!. I'm puzzled to what other kind of indicators they are sensing to. Traditional physiology does not explain the phenomena I see every day. Thanks also for your suggestion in checking other Forums. I'm just learning how to interact with the different areas and find my place where I can contribute in every direction. Arturo,
