lichens from Madeline

My friend Madeline is the best gift giver. She was one who gifted me with the black swallowtail chrysalis (which she rescued from roadside boulevard mowers last autumn). And now yesterday, she gifted me with a bag full of assorted lichens and mosses from her weekend up in Grand Marais, MN on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Some people just have a knack for knowing exactly the right gift. It is such a delight, because it makes one feel seen. It’s hard to pull off consistently. I am not particularity skilled at it. I think it requires a certain level of attentiveness that I tend to save for the natural world. I rarely ever notice when someone gets a haircut. Or a new piece of jewelry. But I do notice lichens! And Madeline knew that. Thank you Madeline!

collection of misses and lichens from the North Shore of Lake Superior

revisiting this stunner

Revisiting this passion flower that is blooming in our house right now. Last autumn we were gifted this vine by a friend who knew we overwintered many of our plants  under grow lights in the winter.  We assumed we were simply keeping it alive until it would go back outside in spring. So these blooms have been a surprise, and a gift, perfectly timed for late-March, when all the world is celebrating spring except us northerners. I have been busy lately. More busy than I expected. I mistakenly thought the writing of my book would be the bulk of my efforts, with the big push being the finalizing of the manuscript, and maybe another push when it was time to review the final galleys. As it turn out, launching a book has been the busiest period yet. So many requests for interviews, so many requests for media images. So many emails planning workshops, and lectures. Honestly, I am having a hard time keeping up. Doing decisive triage on an overflowing inbox is not a muscle I have had to exercise since I left corporate work 20 years ago. It’s all good news. But my days are full, and long meandering walks in the woods have been few and far between for the past month. It’s okay, March is a tricky month anyway. Hopefully, I will be back on top of my inbox by April–in three days. Gulp.

passion flower (passiflora)

Let’s play I Spy

Do you remember the game I Spy from those childhood Scholastic books?  I feel like this bag dump of all my bits and pieces from California is like one of those I Spy challenges at the back of the magazine. Can you find eucalyptus seeds? Magnolia pods? Wisteria seed casings? How many guinea fowl feathers do you find? How many different kinds of gumnuts? How many red cedar cones?  Poppy seedpods? How many sweet gum balls? How many pieces of driftwood? How about mussel shells? And here’s one that’s entirely new to me: How many Norfolk Island pine needles (not a true pine) can you find? Acorn caps? dried lace lichen? And finally, how many peony seedpods? If any of you can identify all of these, tell me! I will be duly impressed.

bits and pieces of California, March 2024

timed for Easter (if you are Christian)

I am not particularly religious, but I do find religious symbolism interesting. The “passion” in passion flower refers to the passion of Jesus in Christian theology; the word passion comes from the Latin passio, meaning ‘suffering’. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion. If you are curious, check out the Wiki page on passion flowers—every single part of the flower had symbolism for those Spanish missionaries. It’s ironic, because when I look at the flower, I see an exuberantly structured bloom with all its sex parts thrust forward. Everyone sees the world differently.

passion flower (Passiflora)

another thing we don’t have in Minnesota

Eucalyptus. We don’t have eucalyptus in Minnesota. Which is a shame, because it is so wonderfully photogenic. I was unable to bring home any bark, but I think I could do at least weeks worth of STILL assemblages using just that shaggy bark in all its varied shades of brown and gray. Eucalyptus seedpods are one of my all time favorite seeds, and this trip I think saw at least five different varieties of them–or perhaps in various states. These dusty blue pods are scene stealers. There is so little in nature that is truly blue, that when it appears the eye can’t help but settle on it. As most of you know, Californian eucalyptus is an import from Australia. It thrives in California, but it is now considered an invasive, and is has been discussed whether it should be removed. I am big believer in returning to native planting, since they are the ones that best support the entirely of the local ecosystem. If it ever comes to that, I will be supportive, but I would certainly miss them.

eucalyptus leaves and seedpods (aka gumnuts)