yesterday’s snow was a complete soul crusher.  but i have to admit it was gorgeous this morning.  perhaps the prettiest blanket of white i have ever witnessed.  every single tree, branch, twig, power lines, fence, you name it, was flocked in white and set against a summer-blue sky. if you want to see a few photos you can check them out on my instagram feed  at maryjohoffman

so, against today’s white canvas, i set out determined to find some color.  any color.  this is what i came up with.  they are all from my yard.

saint paul, minnesota

my husband and i fit in a walk today before the snow began to fall.  no joke.  4-8 inches forecast on april 22. it’s too much. but then there was this streamside mullein that somehow stayed a little bit green, if raggedly so, under several feet of snow over the last 6 months. we could all take a lesson.

mullein

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota

this red maple, visible out my back window, has been waiting for several weeks to burst into flame. the last snow of a very late winter is melting and may provide the final spark.

saint paul, minnesota

this was the other half of the pair that flew into house this week.  a rough week for many of us in the united states.

fox sparrow

saint paul, minnesota

remember the pussy willow poplar buds i posted one week ago today and i declared that our delayed spring had to be right around the corner?  well, these are those very same buds photographed an hour ago.  i had set the branch out on my front stoop.  we got about six inches of heavy wet snow last night. everything was covered in white.   the bright april sun has been bouncing off an entirely white landscape all day. it’s completely disorienting.

on my front step, saint paul, minnesota