geometric pattern play

i had so much fun making patterns with these amur maple samaras today. i made several repeating patterns, each of increasing complexity, but in the end decided that this one (the first one i made, of course) was the most pleasing in its simplicity and its cooperative, hand-holding emotion. i hope you have as much fun as i did.

amur maple seeds in spring

wet umbrella

like all umbrellas. this one went to pieces in a heavy wind.

dandelion flower gone to seed

mistaken identity

the crane fly suffers from an identity crisis. it is a harmless, delicate, and gawkily beautiful insect that has the terrible misfortune of resembling a giant mosquito. i cringe at the thought of the number of crane flies that have been smashed against cabin windows, had their wings torn off, succumbed to gusts of black flag aerosol poison, or been zapped by insect lights, to the misguided glee of those gathered nearby. i don’t know how this gentleman died, but i found him on my floor, and thought him handsome in death, especially the bold veins of his wings. may he rest in peace.

dead crane fly

this is 56

i hate birthdays, but not for the reason you may think. i don’t particularly mind being one year older, even when those years are climbing toward the number 60. but, as a middle child, i do hate all of the attention that comes my way on birthdays, and as a tomboy, i have almost always hated the fashion that ends up in my closet because i am “a girl.” just give me a good coffee in the morning, clean my bathroom, mow my lawn, make me a taco for dinner, and give me good conversation over a glass of wine. happy birthday to me.

wild geranium flowers (Geranium maculatum)

spring is fleeting

in the north, spring is the most fleeting of all the seasons. winter stays too long. and summer arrives early and is sometimes too intense. sandwiched in between extreme cold, and intense heat, is a fleeting few weeks of warm days and cool nights, partly cloudy skies, no stinging insects, and a profusion of color that only comes around once a year. the colors are new growth green, citrusy yellow, lilac purples, and pinks of every shade. but one heavy rain or stiff wind and the confetti falls to the sidewalk looking like colorful scraps of crepe paper

fallen apple blossoms