in a fit of premature spring cleaning, my mom started trimming shrubs today and removed this nest from a foundation planting that was about to go under the knife. the nest could use a bit of spring cleaning itself. i just hope it had been permanently abandoned, and wasn’t awaiting the return of some owner currently flapping northward up the Mississippi Flyway, dreaming of home.

march nest

saint paul, minnesota

a handful of torches, the better to melt snow with.

bouquet of staghorn sumac drupes in march

north oaks, minnesota

one reward for doing STILL blog every day for this long is that it has turned me into an instinctive phenologist. for instance, i feel sure that all the apple trees i’m seeing still loaded with rotten apples in march is something unusual. if it were commonplace, i would have noticed it two years ago and again last year. in fact i would have photographed it. wouldn’t i? i’m not sure i know why–why weren’t these apples released to the ground in november? why didn’t birds, racoons, and squirrels make an autumn feast of them? how could they not have served as food for someone–lightly rotten but still nutrient-rich–over the course of such a brutally taxing winter? the fact that i’m asking the questions is it’s own reward i suppose. maybe, in the end, trees full of mushy march apples happen every year. and it just took STILL blog three years to teach me.

apple on a bare branch in march

saint paul, minnesota

mulleins are one of a very few weeds still peeking out above the snow-covered fields. this single plant was at least five feet tall. similar in shape and stature to a cattail.

mulleins have to be the most impressive, and least lauded weeds in minnesota. in a quick search on wikipedia i learned that mullein “is known to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, expectorant, and analgesic properties. it is especially recommended for coughs and related problems, but also used in topical applications against a variety of skin problems. the plant was also used to make dyes and torches.” my hubby just announced that it is also an excellent firestick for starting campfires without a match. c’mon already. this plant should be a celebrity!

common mullein in march

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota

inspired by andy goldsworthy.

we are beginning to thaw here in minnesota. woot-woot. zeet-zeet. it looks like we will have a major melt this week. i am so excited to see what the receding snow reveals for me. and for STILL.

red pine needles arranged

saint paul, minnesota