the urban willow in front of my son’s school is in full bloom with catkin spikes shouting spring. i saw it friday morning and made a note to myself to snip some willow for STILL blog. but here at home, the north facing lakeshore willow in my back yard has barely let the tips of its buds loose. those you see above, bursting shyly from their casings, will look like peeled green corn cobs in a week. the bees will be joyful.

april weeping willow branches and buds

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota

and sometimes two misfits find themselves in an embrace.

last year’s mullein stems

vadnais lake park, saint paul, minnesota

a duck loses. someone else wins. and decides the wing wasn’t worth the effort. a ten year old boy daydreaming near the edge of a small lake spots the splash of prideful indigo. he carries the torn wing up the hill to his home and offers it, with accomplishment, to his mom. his mother finds the imperfect beauty arresting. and she quickly sets about photographing the wing. later that day she posts it on her blog for others to see…(and now, dear reader, you finish the rest of the story)

damaged but intact mallard wing

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota

i fit a quick walk in this morning before the rain came. during that short walk i saw long dangling birch tassels, huge cone-like cottonwood flowers, furry poplar clusters, and most conspicuous of all, these glorious willow explosions. it’s officially catkin season. it may be the shortest season of the year, but it’s one of my favorites.

willow catkin

vadnais lake, saint paul, minnesota

right now our bees are subsisting on 7 month old honey, some scant maple blossoms and a few pussy willows. the miracle formerly known as goddamn dandelion weeds has never looked so refreshingly delicious. may they paint our entire yard nectar yellow.

dandelion bud

stolen from beside my sons school, saint paul, minnesota