a yellow bellied sapsucker found on the front stoop

it’s likely he flew into the glass on the front door

our house, minnesota

i think my favorite walking trail in the twin cities is the five mile trail that runs along the east shore of vadnais lake.  there is mature open hardwood forest on one side and sparkling lake on the other–making either sun or shade an option on any given day depending on the side of the trail you walk on.  dogs are not allowed, which is one of the reasons 1) it is so abundant with wildlife, and 2) i don’t visit it often.

this single wild mint stem was found along the trail.

vadnais lake trail, saint paul, minnesota

yesterday i picked up these horsetail stems, which, today, I wouldn’t have seen at all, because today everything is blanketed in four inches of fresh snow. i think we are last in line for spring this year. i love the black and white joints.  i think the pattern would make for fun tights.

horsetail is a living fossil. it used to dominate the understory of paleozoic forests, but now, among other locations, it grows politely along the swampy edge of rice creek.

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota

this leaf melted itself free from a carpet of ice on my walking trail yesterday.  i was attracted to the random flecks of mossy green that dot the wheat colored background.  i think the pattern would make a beautiful textile design.

vadnais lake trail, saint paul, minnesota

i learned something new today:  poplars are in the willow family.

this branch came from a very large and unmistakable poplar tree, yet the buds looked just like pussy willow. i spent the remainder of my morning walk puzzled, with a “pussy willow poplar” in my hand.  back home, google helped solve the mystery.

rice creek regional trail, saint paul, minnesota