the virtue of restraint
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i love that these dramatic flowers do their elegant thing in the shade of the understory, beneath a parasol of their own leaves. modesty is in short supply lately, and all the more appreciated for that.
jack-in-the-pulpit
from my yard, saint paul, minnesota
a new look at an old friend
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not in all my forty nine years, in this northern region where conifers rule, have i taken the time to notice the spring blooms of one of our beloved native residents. this is the immature male cone of the red pine. it is often referred to as a “flower” but it is not technically a flower. it is a strobilus or inflorescence. to me, it looks a lot like a torch, and the red pine beside the kids’ school was all lit up with them this week.
pollen cone of the red pine
saint paul, minnesota
what was left
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i found this scattering of bones next to a local athletic field during a recent soccer practice. in the car, there were some comments about being the family that brings the deer bones home. the bones are mostly vertebrae and ribs, with one hip joint. they had been picked clean and were beginning to bleach in the sun. i have no idea where the rest of the animal ended up. unable to reconstruct, i did my best to rearrange respectfully.
assorted deer bones
chippewa middle school, saint paul, minnesota
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i think vertebrae are really some of the most interestingly shaped bones in the body. Thanks for taking the time and effort to photograph them so beautifully
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Monika says:
I love this one too. A few years ago while walking in the woods, we came upon wolf scat and tracks. In some of the scat I found part of a fawn’s jawbone. Amazing.
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useful decoration
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these linden blossoms caught my attention as i pulled into to the bank today. the yellow-green ribbons looked like party decorations. i learned that they are called bract, and they are there to launch the ripened seed-clusters just a little beyond the parent tree.
linden leaves and blossoms
saint paul, minnesota
on being patient
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there is a college near us that has a very impressive allée lined with tulips. i have been waiting for them to die back so i wouldn’t feel so sheepish making off with a handful. in the end i think their late middle age might be more beautiful than even their full youthful bloom. so, approaching 50 myself, i am glad i waited.
end of spring tulips
northwestern college, saint paul, minnesota
growth ring
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the spruces have all burst their buds around here. as they did last year. as they will do next year. they wave their tender, waxy branch tips in the early summer breeze. if you grab a handful and pull, your palm smells like december.
white spruce
saint paul, minnesota
slice of fir
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in our first home, we had fir floors that planted several nasty splinters in each of our feet over the years. the floor redeemed itself by greeting us each morning with its matte sheen and its deep honey and cherry colors. i am still sort of mesmerized by it.
fir
saint paul, minnesota
rickenella fibula?
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found growing in damp oak leaves on the edge of a a northern deciduous woodland. little help?
tiny orange mushrooms
my back yard,saint paul, minnesota
familiar expat
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one of the benefits of STILL blog has been a growing awareness of my everyday environment. there are certain subjects like cattails and milkweed that have always been been favorites. but as a result of looking around me more carefully, a few new favorites have climbed quietly up near the top of my list, including cottonwood trees, willow, and, maybe least likely of all, mullein, a naturalized immigrant from Europe.
mullein rosette in late may
rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota
i don’t normally do hearts and flowers
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i wanted to photograph lilacs today because they are everywhere. everywhere. this lilac heart was a surprise. i had simply made a tight bouquet, and shot it from above, but when i downloaded it later, it not only had this loose heart shape, but even looked as if the flowering panicles had arranged themselves into chambers. a happy accident.
lilacs in late may
saint paul, minnesota
i love jack