It’s the time of year when cottonwood trees are shedding their seeds. With their tuft of cotton, they quietly drift in the wind. Each tiny seed must find its way to bare soil and sprout quickly, before the seed dries out. You see cottonwood seeds are born naked. They haven’t got a coat for protection. Once sprouted, they must grow quickly to get their roots steadfast for the coming season, and their leaves up higher than the surrounding vegetation. They don’t look like much when they are youngsters with their little leaves and reddish stems, or in adolescence with their lanky form.