turing inward

there is nothing subtle about our climate here in the north. for six months of the year, minnesotans are outward facing–citizens of the world, in communion with nature, active in their community, social, and engaged in arts and culture. in a word, busy. for the other six months of the year, we are inward facing–focussed on family, hearth and home, warmth, comfort and nourishing our spirits. in a word, still. mid-november is the cross-over. we will stay in this inward facing mode until mid-april, at which time we will awaken like hibernating bears to greet the sunlight. growing-season STILL, and dormant-season STILL are two entirely different universes. i hope you enjoy the two seasons, as much as we minnesotans enjoy both of ours.

dried anthurium blossoms

the collector’s table

every now and then i have to do a clean sweep, and clear my desk for a fresh start. and on those days, it has become a tradition to do a simple assemblage of the current flotsam and jetsam that has accumulated over the past season. the only difference is that today i had the keen and demanding eye of my 22 year old daughter eva to help me compose. thank you, sweetie.

snow in november

a blanket of it is coming this week. so i decided to make snowflakes out of the autumn forest floor, while it’s still visible. see you next year…

assemblage of found nature

hydrophobic

these are some pretty water beads on cattail leaves. or if you prefer to think of it another way . . . materials with a special affinity for water — those it spreads across, maximizing contact — are known as hydrophilic. those that naturally repel water, causing droplets to form, are known as hydrophobic. both classes of materials can have a significant impact on the performance of power plants, electronics, airplane wings and desalination plants, among other technologies. you can pick one or the other.

cattail leaves

exhale

it was a big day in america. i was a bit distracted all day. all i had in me was this swoop of a leaf, feeling itself, feeling a return of something that has been missing for a while, something like optimism.

prairie tall grass leaf