ring of fire

sometimes a few individuals come together to form something new and it is impossible to see them any other way after that. where do these partridge feathers end, and the pentagonal star at their center begin?

partridge feathers (perdrix)

cobbler’s children have no shoes

my husband is a tax preparer (and food writer). in the united states, this means he is crazy busy from late january through late april. he essentially puts in a years’ worth of hours in five months, and makes a years’ worth of income by june.  it’s an unusual way to make a living, but we have come to like it because it gives us the remaining 6 months of the year to follow our respective creative pursuits. this is all a very long way of saying, that there are no winter vacations, and no spring breaks, for us. no escaping to sun baked beaches, no trekking in tropical jungles, no mojitos poolside in palm springs. it’s all hands on deck while everyone pitches in to get us through to may. so, as a consolation, i will be amusing myself over the next few weeks with reminders of long afternoons on the beach, lazily sifting through the sand looking for little treasures–sea glass, shells, or perfectly tumbled beach rocks. this collection here represents probably two dozen such days. it’s getting me excited for the next two dozen.

collection of beach rocks (mostly lake superior and the mediterranean)

about to explode

the snow keeps coming. and the temperatures keep dropping. we have just experienced our snowiest february ever here in the twin cities, after 30 inches of snow dropped on our driveways, sidewalks and roofs. we are wound as tight as these cattails, ready to blow, the minute the first sign of spring arrives. i wonder how many babies will be born in central minnesota next november.

late winter cattails

stronger together

hang in there guys, february is a short month. it’s almost march. let’s all lean in.

prairie tall grass in winter with ice coating

arrayed for battle

who knew that plum trees had a dark side? please. i confess.  i’ll tell you anything you want to know. i’ve always loved plums. truly. no. please. not the fingernails again.

plum tree thorns