The Specimen Table

This is my box of bits: my favorite specimens I’ve collected over the past several months. It usually lives on my “specimen table,” which is really half of my dining room table. When it gets too crowed, I sweep up all the bits into a box and either put them back outside or place them in a dark corner of the basement to be used for future workshops and classes. Sometimes I get stopped in my tracks by how beautiful it all is.

bits and pieces of foraged nature

sturdy and sexy both

How do magnolia leaves do it? They are so sturdy and strong and still manage to be absolutely seductive at the same time. We do not grow magnolia like this in Minnesota. This leaf hitchhiked home with me from Atlanta, GA where I taught a workshop last fall. There was giant magnolia tree in the parking lot of the resort I was teaching in. If I’d had more time, I would have made a giant (parking lot sized) gradient of fallen magnolia leaves. Next time I get south of the 35th parallel, I plan to make my Land Art statement in magnolia leaves!

dried magnolia leaf

On the verge of the Big Bang!

Spring in the North happens fast. We get about a three-week later start than the rest of the US, and then make up for it a headlong race to start summer with the rest of you. Everything is ready to go, we just need a little rain. Tomorrow we have one last (fingers crossed it’s the last!) Winter Weather Advisory which is suppose to bring 1-3 inches of rain. Okay, so it’s freezing rain–but still rain! So I am bracing for the Spring Big Bang that will follow once the next the next warm air mass pushes up from the south. My camera batteries are charged, and I am waiting.

Happy April Everyone!

(unidentified) spring buds

Like a Japanese Pagoda

I’ve had Japan on the brain lately. Steve and I have not traveled much for the past four years. For two reasons primarily: 1) the house fire, and 2) NYU tuition has been consuming our travel budget and more. Our son is now a senior, and 1 ½ semesters from finishing. So, we have allowed ourselves to start dreaming about travel again. In my perfect world, our next extended stay adventure would be in off-the-beaten-path Japan. I’ll have to arm wrestle Steve, as he feels a spiritual pull to the Mediterranean. It’s fun to be dreaming again.

eucalyptus braches

After the party

Today was mostly taken up with my Mom’s 90th birthday, but Eva and I fit in a walk before the party and we came across this abnormal double cattail standing tall and proud along the shores of Lake Vadnais in St. Paul. I am a bit mesmerized by this guy. In my world, it’s a keeper. I will hold onto this specimen until all the seed fluff has exploded and escaped into my house. At which point I will release him/it back into the wild with his brothers. Don’t you wonder what my house looks like?

abnormal over-wintered cattail seed-head in March