season opener

season opener

the snow has finally melted from all my favorite walking trails. jack (aka puggle) is thrilled. as am i. today i grabbed these late winter stems as i walked and marveled at the number of birds that migrate to or through minneosta each spring and fall–somewhere between 400-500 species i believe. today the eastern bluebirds and hooded mergansers caught my attention. this bouquet is about 1 meter tall and yet it felt almost weightless in my hands it is so dry. one of my daily frustrations with STILL is that i have to downsize the resolution of each image before i post it to the blog (otherwise STILL would take eternity to load). but it means that an image like this one, with so much texture and detail, loses a little of its magic in the process.

bouquet of late winter stems

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a banner day

a banner day

of course this blog is about nature and STILL, but it is also in some ways about a life shared not just with the flora and fauna of the upper midwest and mediterranean france, but a life shared with a husband and family, and how that family tries to make creativity fit into a life that is otherwise successful in a normal and sometimes boring way. today was a day spent huddling together to celebrate my husband’s nomination for two james beard awards. it was a day to make a perfunctory STILL blog image, and to focus instead on a lavish and indulgent evening together, husband, wife and son, eating at one of the best restaurants in minneapolis, drinking champagne, and briefly acknowledging a milestone, before we all go back to the daily grind. thank you for celebrating with us. if you want to read the award nominated article, you can read it here. if you want to give my hubby a little bit of love, you can do that here.

foxtail (?) stems

 

  • Dede says:

    Congrats to Steve-what an amazingly talented family! I wonder if talented and creative people seek each other or if it is fostered-probably both, but what a wonderful accomplishment!

    reply
    • Thank you Dede. You are always so supportive and kind. You’re the best. xo Mary Jo

      reply

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you’ve got a lot of gall

you’ve got a lot of gall

this ash tree’s path to my living room was somewhat convoluted. steve’s first cousin once removed on his father’s side married the delightful moira, who follows my blog, and offers occasional wise and witty commentary, and who had the generosity to save branches from an ash tree they recently cut down, which were festooned with galls. i picked this this one to photograph because i loved its vaguely calderesque asymmetrical weightedness. thank you moira, for being you, and for an eye knowing enough to see the beauty in these ugly-cute little growths.

galls on an ash tree branch

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good things come to those who wait

good things come to those who wait

do any of you remember the persimmons i posted way back in november? i reposted them today (right before this post) so i could show you the before and after of these three fruits. yup, these are the same three persimmons–117 days later. they have been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since, and i have been keeping a daily eye on them. they didn’t really rot, they didn’t mold, they didn’t dry out and crack, they just sort of…deflated. and with each passing day they got more and more interesting.  you may recall, my rule of thumb for what passes muster as a STILL blog photo: the subject has to be either beautiful or interesting. and every once in a while, i get lucky, and find something that is both–truly beautiful and interesting.  well, these deflated persimmons are definitely interesting. you’ll have to decide for yourself if they are also beautiful.

overripe persimmons (Diospyros kaki)

  • Carol says:

    Melted chocolate puddles

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  • vanessa says:

    fascinating. it’s like they dried themselves for you. I love seeing how the stalks have changed too.

    I’ve made this my homepage on my work computer. It’s so soothing to see something beautiful when I open my browser. Thank you! I love your daily stills.

    reply
  • Oh these really are intriguing. And to me, so beautiful. Thanks for your art. Long time admirer, first time commenter.

    reply
    • Thank you Elizabeth for your kind words and for taking the time to comment.
      So nice to meet you!
      xo, Mary Jo

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re-post for before-and-after comparison

reposted from november 28, 2018:

gifting

in english it’s a persimmon. in french it’s a kaki. in latin it’s diospyros kaki. which explains the french. but none of them explains my husband’s calling them, in a rare moment of verbal confusion, “kaka,” which really, i think, misses the point. today a new friend stopped by, a fellow stanford alumna, a fellow engaged human being who likes just enough of the same things as i do, and knows just enough about things i don’t know anything about, and who makes good conversation over tea. she brought me these three persimmons/kaki/kaka. it checked all my boxes. aesthetically beautiful. delicious. disposable. unique. custom chosen. and of california origin. truly some of the most talented and intuitive gift-giving i’ve run across in recent memory. thank you, sally. i hope i was half the hostess that you were a guest.

persimmon fruits from menlo park, ca (Diospyros kaki)

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