Cloudberries at Lughnasadh

 Here in the Southern Nevada desert, we are affected differently by the seasons.  Instead of retreating indoors in winter and coming out in warmer weather, my family and I do the opposite.  In the severe triple-digit heat, we retreat indoors into the dim coolness, and we come outdoors in the winter when the weather is mild.  If we did venture out in summer, we might briefly notice that the sagebrush is in bloom and the prickly pear cactus is fruiting before returning indoors to cool off.

I've always found it a bit of a challenge to connect with the land here.  I prefer a bit more distance from the equator, and either proximity to the ocean, a higher elevation, or both.  I am a northerner, a person who appreciates four seasons, and who delights in weather.  I want to watch the snowfall, hear the thunder and the howling wind, and feel the rain pounding down.  When  I celebrate the seasons, I tend to bring in materials and elements traditional to northern and western Europe, rather than using what is indigenous to this area.  I have lived in the dry, hot desert for over 20 years, and the climate here has never truly felt like home.  The native people who lived here were nomadic and probably sought out the cooler temperatures in the higher elevations this time of year.

For Lughnasadh, I think about what my ancestors might have experienced during the grain harvest.  They would have been working long hours, taking advantage of the longer days, and hustling to get the grain in before the weather turns.  In the northern regions, they would have been picking cloudberries.

Most years, I gather with friends and loved ones at Lughnassadh to celebrate the turning of the year.  This year, due to the pandemic, most of these gatherings are going to take place online.  My favorite private activity to honor the season is to bake a loaf of fresh bread made of einkorn wheat and spreading a thick slice of it with cloudberry jam.  While eating it, reflect on the magic of the grain dying every year and being reborn, and imagine the bright orange cloudberries growing wild.