steve had two watercraft to deal with today, on a day when, most years, we should have been skating on the lake, not pulling boats from it. the jon boat had taken on some water, but was still afloat. the kayak, which had been presumed stolen, showed up in the shallows, sunken below the surface, and converted into a modest muskrat house, mounded with mud and cattail stems. while steve evicted these squatters and reclaimed our kayak, i went a-gathering, and discovered how much color there can be among the stems and leaves of a december cattail bed.

woven collection of winter stems and leaves

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota