i imagine this single lupine singing a high pitched, halting solo, in stark contrast to the enormous choirs, thousands strong, that line the summer highways of minnesota, belting out their blue and purple music.
wild lupine
rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota
we take a certain awkward pride in being the kind of household where dead birds sit on the corner of my desk waiting to be photographed. and stag beetles lie frozen in tupperware in the freezer next to the chocolate chip ice cream. and hornets bouncing against the patio screen door get shepherded back outside to self-actualize, and fulfill their hornet destinies. in such a household, it should come as no surprise that a cedar waxwing lying crumpled on the shoulder of a north-south twin cities highway should have been spied, and later collected, after two u-turns and a conspicuous mid-lane park job, to make its sad and exquisite appearance in this morning’s post. thanks to my hubby for risking his life and our only reliable car in the service of art and beauty.
cedar waxwing
highway 61, saint paul, minnesota
-
Exquisit photo of this poor little creature. They are at the top of my bird loves list. As an aside, I once had Screech owl in my freezer.
reply -
Thank you for sharing these glimpses into your family’s life. I appreciate them as a nature lover, as someone who is always reminding herself to simplify and as a teacher of young children who hopes to pass on an appreciation and awareness of the beauty around us. Your house is very much like mine, and my classroom- with dried animal skulls, random sparkling tree resin and more shells than you can count(though we do!). Thank you each day!
reply -
Unfortunate circumstances. I spied a dead one in the grill of a car in a hospital parking lot last fall. Yep, I plucked beautiful feathers from him before leaving.
reply
you could dip these in cyanide and make poison darts. you could dip them in ink and make poison pens.
woodpecker feathers
vadnais lake trail, saint paul, minnesota
-
lovely!
reply
i have something very important to share with you. it’s just very very important that you understand this. very important. what you need to know is . . . are you listening? i mean it. you need to know this. it’s very important: i love you guys. (i don’t know why thoughts of my daughter applying to college would bring to mind a conversation like this.)
yellow bush roses
garden beside swede hollow cafe, saint paul, minnesota
-
and we love you too :)
reply -
ditto
reply
I love what you do. And so appreciate your sharing it.
they are among my favourite road side flower
Freya and I have a sweet spot for lupine, thanks to Ms. Rumphius. Yours is more a more lithe specimen than the usually sturdy, stocky stems we see out here.