symbiotic existence

there’s a reason we notice lichens more in late fall and winter than we do the rest of the year. lichens get a whole lot more sunshine when the trees are leafless, and the added photosynthesis brightens their colors. as i have mentioned before, lichens on your trees are a sign of a healthy ecosystem as lichens are very sensitive to pollution. so if you see them on your trees, just enjoy them. they do not harm the trees in any way. they serve as a food source and habitat for many animals such as deer, birds, and rodents. they provide nesting materials for birds. they protect trees and rocks from extreme elements such as rain, wind, and snow. and they can be used in making dyes, perfumes, and in traditional medicines. lichens rock.

winter branch with lichens

a palette all its own

river birch grows all over the eastern united states from minnesota to massachusetts to florida to louisiana. it is one of the few heat-tolerant birches in a family of mostly cold-weather trees. i’ver been starting at this photo trying to name all the colors i see in the bark: ivory, rust, cinnamon, salmon, pink, gray, brown, chestnut, copper, russet, tan, terracotta, amber, ochre…clearly, i am smitten with the palette. but also the texture of this photo too. how badly do you want to reach in there, and peel off a little bit of paper? and maybe tuck it into a journal as a little memento of your trip to the walker art center with your friends visiting from france (which is exactly what i did on sunday).

river birch bark (Betula nigra)

the cruelest month

theres’s no doubt about it, march is the cruelest month.

thank you all for your feedback about what you would like to hear more or/less on i these daily missives. i will summarize it soon. but right now i must sit by the fire and stare at the embers for a few hours. we had visitors from france staying with us for 4 days, and i just dropped them off at the airport. they don’t speak english, so my brain is as fatigued as these winter stems. jusqu’à demain…

winter stems with snow

time of migration

march is the month of migration. everyone is returning, staking out mating territory, and starting to build nests in preparation for spring babies. i saw my first robin yesterday. dnd have had two reports of sandhill crane sighting. the red winged blackbirds should arrive any day. spring is in the air. literally.

varied bird nests

a gift from my mom

my mom saves here spent bouquets for me. it’s such a sweet, thoughtful gesture. i love that she does this. a perfect gift for me.

by the way, i’ve been thinking about what i write in these little daily missives. sometimes i write about my subject and why i chose to photograph it. sometimes i write about the season in general, trying to share details of what’s happening that may otherwise be overlooked. sometimes i write about what’s going on in my life such as dropping my son off at college, or working on my book manuscript.  while i have strict rules for my photographs (found nature, no manmade items, natural light, on a white background), i have almost no rules for what i write (except for one: no politics). so…it has got me thinking. are there things you’d like to hear more or less of? I’m very curious to hear your thoughts.