we just finished editing a video from our time in france, where we were surrounded by real olives, and so this photo is sort of a killer.

winter branch of a russian olive tree (elaeagnus angustifolia).

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota

carl linneaus himself named this plant because he thought it looked like andromeda. he was touring lapland at the time, and i was reading this and thinking perhaps he had gotten a little brain-freeze. but then i saw his journal sketch, et voilà, the resemblance is uncanny. you can see for yourself here.

bog rosemary (andromeda polifolia)

found in a peat bog in the chippewa nationa forest in north-central minnesota

i was going to try to cut this nest in half to see what a cross section might look like, and then I was going to try to peel it open like an onion. in the end, those both felt too destructive of such a delicate thing, so i contented myself with this little peek inside somebody else’s home. this nest was built with wasp saliva and wood fiber and it hummed all summer long, in an oak overhanging our driveway, as clouds of busy workers clocked in and out.

paper wasp nest from a large oak tree overhanging our driveway

saint paul, minnesota

this winter i am noticing more color than usual. i think STILL blog has changed the way i see my winter surroundings. i pay more attention–well, at least to the natural palette around me. but this seems to have come at the expense of my safety behind the wheel, where i have recently endured some embarrassingly close calls. yes, i know, but it’s soooo pretty out there…

merry christmas to all who celebrate it. love and laughter to all who don’t. santa appears to have delivered some identically wrapped, minimal white boxes to our house. time to go see what’s inside!

a collection of colorful winter branches: buckthorn, pin oak, and snow covered spruce

saint paul, minnesota