the longer i looked at these bare flower discs and their perhaps overly dramatic dried calices, the more i saw, not beauty preserved, but a collection of alien creatures just given truly shocking news that none of them was prepared for. the photo has captured them in mid freakout. i wonder what the news was.
winter wildflower stems
grass lake, saint paul, minnesota
steve had two watercraft to deal with today, on a day when, most years, we should have been skating on the lake, not pulling boats from it. the jon boat had taken on some water, but was still afloat. the kayak, which had been presumed stolen, showed up in the shallows, sunken below the surface, and converted into a modest muskrat house, mounded with mud and cattail stems. while steve evicted these squatters and reclaimed our kayak, i went a-gathering, and discovered how much color there can be among the stems and leaves of a december cattail bed.
woven collection of winter stems and leaves
turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota
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you have such a good eye for colour and pattern, thank you for sharing!
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This looks like a sled of twigs. Really neat. I love the winter browns and grays and yellows.
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Beautiful !!!
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I love that story! I bet the water was REALLY cold. Love the photo too. Plaid is such a big trend right now but I haven’t seen anyone else do it in stems!
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i spent the day working on a commission, so i didn’t get out for a walk even though the temps are mild and inviting, and even though my puggle is starting to resemble a vietnamese pot bellied pig due to lack of exercise. i am almost embarrassed to post these anachronistic daisies in december, but they are what caught my attention on a day spent inside near vases of flowers, not on trails among the muted vegetation of early winter. you all are just going to have to deal…
florist bought gerbera daisies
bachman’s, saint paul, minnesota
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They’re so happy and cheerful!
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Whoa! What a surprise this morning-almost stronger than my coffee. I guess my mind gets prepared for the muted grays of winter and then, BAM! Always stunning and beautiful, thank you for all the beauty you capture for us!
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in the woods today i looked up and this lightning bolt shot across the sky. i rummaged for my camera, turned it on, adjusted the aperture and speed, changed my mind and picked a different aperture and speed, looked into the viewfinder, decided to use the flip screen instead, and just barely had time to snap 25 or 30 shots of this elusive black lightning before i got bored, and headed back home, with the lightning still shooting across the sky.
oak limb in winter
saint paul, minnesota
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Love how nature recycles the best ideas. That could as easily be the branches of a tree, or the roots.
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all the green in my back yard, gathered into a modest mixed salad. normally by this date, the thyme and sage would be black and frozen, and possibly covered by snow. but december got lost somewhere on its way to minnesota this year, and we are waiting for news of its whereabouts.
bits of december green
saint paul, minnesota