in our first home, we had fir floors that planted several nasty splinters in each of our feet over the years. the floor redeemed itself by greeting us each morning with its matte sheen and its deep honey and cherry colors.  i am still sort of mesmerized by it.

fir

saint paul, minnesota

found growing in damp oak leaves on the edge of a a northern deciduous woodland. little help?

tiny orange mushrooms

my back yard,saint paul, minnesota

one of the benefits of STILL blog has been a growing awareness of my everyday environment.  there are certain subjects like cattails and milkweed that have always been been favorites.  but as a result of looking around me more carefully, a few new favorites have climbed quietly up near the top of my list, including cottonwood trees, willow, and, maybe least likely of all, mullein, a naturalized immigrant from Europe.

mullein rosette in late may

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota

i wanted to photograph lilacs today because they are everywhere.  everywhere. this lilac heart was a surprise. i had simply made a tight bouquet, and shot it from above, but when i downloaded it later, it not only had this loose heart shape, but even looked as if the flowering panicles had arranged themselves into chambers. a happy accident.

lilacs in late may

saint paul, minnesota

i am not a thrift store shopper.  i have no patience for rummaging through other peoples cast-offs looking for gems.  and yet, i was utterly thrilled to find this cast-off robin egg on my morning walk.  i guess it is all a matter of context.

robin egg

rice creek regional trail

saint paul, minnesota