a pattern of dried lupine leaves and velvet leaf seed pods.  both of which were STILL blog subjects last summer.   have i mentioned that i have a hard time letting go of my specimens?

saint paul, minnesota

hydrangea flower head in late winter

minneapolis, minnesota

this is rue.  she arrived yesterday from ohio.  she is three days old.  she has five sisters:  effie, prim, clove, katniss, and glimmer. all named by our daughter.  she is an early layer, so we hope to have eggs by july.

there may still be two feet of snow outside our window, but it is spring in our hearts.

golden buff (aka cinnamon comet) chick

saint paul, minnesota

my son has a bug collection. his bug board dates from two summers ago, so some of the specimens are getting a little, well, brittle.  this cicada wing spun to the floor like a maple seed when I tried to move the collection today.

cicada wing venation

saint paul, minnesota

okay, this is it, all my rocks in one place.  i have been sorting, gathering, organizing–collecting my collections.  most of these rocks come from the north shore of lake superior.  but some of them, i recognize, came from various beaches in brittany and languedoc in france.  right now it all sits in the middle of my living room floor where i set up for this photo.  i will need to find a proper home for them.  eventually.

atlantic ocean, mediterranean sea, and lake superior beach rocks