in the nick of time

while i waited for the ice to melt on my ¼ mile long gravel driveway so i could safely get up to the street without risking a nasty fall, i almost missed catkins season. catkin season is one of my favorite micro-seasons. that short window in spring before the trees leaf out, when several varieties of trees flower, and release pollen, in the form of dangling inflorescences that look like tassels. Trees that put out catkins include: birch, willow, aspen, hickory, sweet chestnut, alder, mulberry, poplar, cottonwood, hazel, and oak. while you are out walking around this week, look up–it’s a party!

p.s. the word catkin is a loanword from the Middle Dutch katteken, meaning “kitten”

poplar catkins in april