Dear
Journey North Community,
Angangueo
and our surrounding communities say hello to all of you while we prepare
ourselves to welcome the Monarch butterflies. Again this year, I feel
flattered to have been invited to share the Monarchs' arrival, overwintering,
and leaving once the season is over.
I should
start by telling you that the climate change this year was very drastic
to warmer. We had very little rain—only one month, the whole September—when
the rainy season normally should have been 4-5 months!
Since days now, the rain is over and it feels warm-hot during the day
and icy-cold at nights. Here you have a distant view of the three main
points where Monarchs settle on their arrival to our forests, taken just
this morning: first El Cerrito from far away, where Monarchs make their
last halt, then from Chincua, last from the way up to El Rosario.
In this last point, I ran into a young boy and asked him how long he believed
it could take for Monarchs to arrive, to which he answered:
Boy: "Not yet, two to three more weeks."
Estela: "How do you feel about weather change this year?"
Boy:
"Bad. We hardly saved our corn crops this year. Well adios, Señora!",
he said, after hardly stopping his horse and hardly looking to me to exchange
these comments.
I will be back next week with a visit to El Cerrito. Hpefully we can see
a Monarch somewhere.
Sincerely,
María Estela Romero
Angangueo, Michoacan, October 6, 2009
Maria
Estela Romero
reports from Angangueo
El Cerrito ("the Little Hill") is a hillside on the west side of Angangueo. It's the first place monarchs settle before flying higher to their winter sanctuaries.
Angangueo, as seen from an overlook on the east side of town.
The boy Estela met on the trail.
