died too young

yesterday i attended a funeral for my cousin’s son, who lost his life to cancer at age 21. it was so painful and sad to hear friends and family share stories of a healthy and handsome young man just coming into himself as an adult, who is no longer with his family, and his family no longer with him. this zinnia bud is from the same stem as yesterday’s frozen flower. an early frost cut its life short. it looks to me as though the leaves were trying to protect the bud. my cousin would have done the same, and more. would have done anything to change the ending of her boy’s story.

zinnia bud nipped by frost

beautiful melancholy

november has a beauty all its own. it’s not resilient like spring. it’s delicate. fragile. hanging on by a thread. december snows will come, and all the pretty details of november will be gone in an instant. when i give talks, i often confess that november is my favorite month to photograph. it often surprises me how many people come up afterwards to tell me that november is also their favorite month.  have you read the book bittersweet, by susan cain, yet? i am guessing it all the bittersweet-types that truly love november and its beautiful melancholy.

zinnia in november

i heart u

i see hearts? do you? the softness of this tall grass seed-head is offered up today in intentional contrast to yesterday’s intimidating thistle stem. the variety and ingenuity that plants have used to adapt fills me daily with wonder and joy.

winter tall grass seedhead

beguiling

what is the word for something that is both enchanting and menacing? the closest i can get is beguiling, but that is not quite right. beguiling doesn’t have enough menace in it. anyway, a lack of rain and snow has this november thistle stem looking particularly fascinating. and menacing.

field thistle stem in winter

flowers in november

this is goldenrod. stiff goldenrod to be precise. i know this only because i snipped it off the stems, and so i recognized the plant. otherwise, it would not have known that goldenrod flowers dry to such delicate and pleasing two-toned and tiny daisy-like flowers. i am guessing the first snow fall will knock many of them to the ground. in the meantime, i am very much enjoying these november flowers.

dried  flowers from stiff goldenrod in november (Solidago rigida)