our house’s outer envelope is fairly porous in every season but winter. it does not contain us inside very well, nor does it keep out the neighbors, who wander in through open doors, and sometimes, as in the case of the red bellied snake last week, sun themselves on the carpet. Other times, our guests find dark corners, where other guests are already waiting for them.

daddy longlegs found in corners.

in and around my house, saint paul mn

i was cleaning up some of the specimens that tend to pile up on my desk. this was from a field pennycress that had dried with all the seeds still attached. the shape of the seed pods caught my eye. so i ran my thumb and index finger along the stems they way you would strip thyme from its stem. i stopped there.

field pennycress (thlaspi)

saint paul, minnesota

coneflower season always seems to arrive a little sooner than expected, and since it is a harbinger of fall, it should be unwelcome, but they are so beautiful, that i can’t help but find myself happy to see their big round heads start to form.

coneflower (echinacea)

my back yard, saint paul, mn