tethered butterflies

some photographers chase the light. here in the north, we chase the frost. first frost here in minnesota usually occurs some time between october 1 and october 10, that means we are probably only one week from first frost. i usually don’t forage my subjects from private land…but with frost only a week away, i feel less sheepish about it as any remaiing blooms will be nipped by the cold, if not by me. these pink hydrangea surround the senior living complex down the street from me. i pass it every time i go to the grocery store. i have been watching these florets turn a deepening shade of pink all summer. it was tempting to gather them a few weeks ago when they were still blushing pink. but i am glad i waited. my husband, steve, calls this style of panicle hydrangea “tethered butterfly” hydrangeas. he really ought to be a copy writer.

pink panicle hydrangea (hortensia)

pretty maids all in a row

we’ve had rain. and in springs and autumn, rain means mushrooms. tonight’s dinner: mushroom farotto. if you have never had farotto, i suggest you look it up and give it a try. farotto is simply risotto made with farro in place of the arborio rice. the nuttiness of the farro goes especially well with mushrooms. so i recommend you start with mushroom farotto. then leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

wine cap mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata)

in transition

by both the meteorological (sept 1) and astronomical (sept 22) calendars, we are now in autumn. indeed, birds are migrating, acorns have fallen, black walnuts are dropping, and the leaves are changing color. colorful fall leaves are fun to compose and photograph, but it is the ones i can catch in transition that pique my interest the most.

hog-peanut vine leaves in early autumn (Amphicarpaea bracteata)

birds of a feather

with the great migration underway, we are finding a lot of souvenirs left behind by the travelers who choose to rest-up in our yard for a day or two.  it’s nice to hear birdsong again. yet bittersweet, because we know they are only passing through. almost 400 different species of birds will pass over in the next two months. we’ve enjoyed some mild weather lately, but tonight there will by thunderstorms, as the canadian winds push down upon us. they will bring some much needed rain, and welcome tailwinds for the migrants.

two crane feathers and a crow feather

let’s look at the details

our sandhill cranes are still here. we are expecting them to leave any day now, joining up with other migrants heading south. they are mostly done molting, but their feathers still litter out yard. this photo is a close-up of one of their feathers. the detail is exquisite. i have to downsize my images when i post them, otherwise your browser would take too long to load my images. usually, i am okay with the loss of resolution. but with an image like this, it hurts. i’d love to be able to share the full resolution image so we could, together, marvel at the intricate detail of feathers. nature at it’s most remarkable.

p.s. the collective noun for a flock of cranes is a sedge. other collective nouns for cranes include a siege and a herd. the term ‘sedge’ is derived from the old english word ‘secg’, which means ‘sword’. this is likely due to the long, thin shape of a crane’s neck, which resembles a sword.

sandhill crane feather close-up (Antigone canadensis)