not in all my forty nine years, in this northern region where conifers rule, have i taken the time to notice the spring blooms of one of our beloved native residents.  this is the immature male cone of the red pine.  it is often referred to as a “flower” but it is not technically a flower.  it is a strobilus or inflorescence.  to me, it looks a lot like a torch, and the red pine beside the kids’ school was all lit up with them this week.

pollen cone of the red pine

saint paul, minnesota

i found this scattering of bones next to a local athletic field during a recent soccer practice. in the car, there were some comments about being the family that brings the deer bones home. the bones are mostly vertebrae and ribs, with one hip joint. they had been picked clean and were beginning to bleach in the sun. i have no idea where the rest of the animal ended up. unable to reconstruct, i did my best to rearrange respectfully.

assorted deer bones

chippewa middle school, saint paul, minnesota

these linden blossoms caught my attention as i pulled into to the bank today.  the yellow-green ribbons looked like party decorations. i learned that they are called bract, and they are there to launch the ripened seed-clusters just a little beyond the parent tree.

linden leaves and blossoms

saint paul, minnesota

there is a college near us that has a very impressive allée lined with tulips.  i have been waiting for them to die back so i wouldn’t feel so sheepish making off with a handful.  in the end i think their late middle age might be more beautiful than even their full youthful bloom.  so, approaching 50 myself, i am glad i waited.

end of spring tulips

northwestern college, saint paul, minnesota

the spruces have all burst their buds around here. as they did last year. as they will do next year. they  wave their tender, waxy branch tips in the early summer breeze. if you grab a handful and pull, your palm smells like december.

white spruce

saint paul, minnesota