i don’t know why, but i have had it in my head for several weeks that the way some fall leaves turn color by gradation on single branch is similar to the coloring of some fish. of course, i put off attempting my “leaf-scale fish” until all the trees in our area had lost their leaves. I was just about to shrug off my lost opportunity when, today, waiting outside the swede hollow cafe in saint paul for my morning latte, i found a carpet of beautiful, mountain-ash fish scales on the ground. a fishy gift from the universe.

mountain ash leaves in fall

swede hollow cafe, saint paul, minnesota