When the Harvest is Hunted
Trailing hot on the heels of September’s Harvest Moon, October’s Hunter stalked the sky last night using occasional clouds for camouflage. The waning of the one and the waxing of the other has significance for those who nestle their cabins deep in the Humboldt Hills.
Dirt roads, that have been relatively quiet, fill with traffic. The pungent scent of freshly cut marijuana wafts from unexpected sources—a passing car, a well cared for home, and an older neighbor’s pink sweater. Certain switchbacks have their own smell. I have heard it remarked that traveling up the back roads around here is like taking a fragrant tour of the local product. If you inhale deeply enough at the right moment, you can taste the flavor of each grower’s creation.
Now that October and its full moon are waning, the traffic will slow to a trickle and the scents will become infrequent. Once again I will recognize nearly every car but the hidden life in these hills will again be veiled and the complexity and richness disguised. Once again this will be an underground community, its life carried on in secret. That has its own beauty
……but I will miss October.
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I held this piece for several days. There are many reasons not to publish it. But in the end, living in Humboldt and not talking about marijuana is like living with an elephant and pretending it doesn’t exist. So, in my humble way I’m following in All in the Family’s footsteps and you just heard the toilet flush for the first time;>
Photo Credit to Brian D Buck who passed away 4/8/2005
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Here is an interesting travel diary on growing in Africa
http://joaoleitao.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/marijuana-fields-marijuana-plantations-in-the-mountains-cannabis-rif-mountains-northern-morocco/
Nice shot of the moon….how wonderful it is…how lucky we are to have it.
You write particularly nicely on the wellspring of your local economy. Good, (but not overly) florid language to describe a pungent, local atmosphere.
The photo was taken by a blogger who later died. I chanced on it and was awed by it’s beauty. The leaves almost look like a shadow on the moon’s surface. Shadow plants that are actually real…
Seemed appropriate.
[…] are the concerns he mentions? Living in the hills, not squished on top of someone else, I find the aroma of just harvested marijuana pleasurable (and, no, I don’t smoke it). Might I feel differently if that smell daily overwhelmed the […]
[…] When I started writing about marijuana, my heart would thump as if I could be arrested for merely mentioning the word. And my worry wasn’t only that I would offend law enforcement but that I would offend my Humboldt neighbors. And, in fact, I have had gentle complaints that I give out too much information. I’ve tried to point out that most of what I say is already available on line but I get skeptical looks. With that in mind I’ve decided to post links to a few sites that prove my point. […]
Hi, I follow your blog almost daily and love it. You’re very talented at telling stories and taking photos. I live in Florida now, but hope to move to Northern California when my daughter graduates from high school here in 2 and a half years. Thanks for all the great stories and pics…it all gives me hope that someday I’ll make it out that way.
Glenn,
Good luck on getting here! It is beautiful with wonderful people.
Thanks Kym, it’s awesome that you responded!