My favorite flowering tree is red bud. I like the sparseness of the buds. The tree seems to be light and airy as a result. Red bud is in bloom and I am a happy camper.
magnolia memories
We have a gorgeous magnolia in our back yard. The blooms are a wonderfully vivid pink. What is strange is that the tree is blooming a month early.
Even stranger, the poor magnolia is already past its prime and is shedding leaves.
The heavy rains that we've seen for the last two days are part of the problem. They stripped many of the petals off of the blooms, leaving them on the ground in a perfect circle around the tree.
The pink litter fills flower pots, covers chairs and blankets the ground like a densely packed snow. What a strange, warm year this has been.
the big bamboo
Visited the Franklin Park Conservatory during lunch this week. Now that I have my membership card, you can bet I will make a habit of going more often.
backlit
orange buttterfly
the crocus is out!
You won't believe all of the high pitched squealing that goes on around here when we pull into the driveway and see bright flowers popping up around the yard for the first time each year. You would think we were a bunch of pre-teens and Justin Bieber had just showed up. Really, it's that bad.
last weekend
Last weekend Jim, Gerd, and I met for lunch in Yellow Springs. Chili Fires, Sandwiches, and cold beer were on the menu and we made the most of them. After lunch, we decided to go for a hike along the LIttle MIami River, where it flows through Clifton Gorge. The temperatures were just above freezing and the snow was falling, but the hike was fantastic and it felt good to be back in the woods again.
The river was swollen from the rains the fell over the previous few days. The Canada Geese had already arrived and were fighting over the best stretch of the river for nesting. There is nothing else that quite sounds like three pair of geese that want the same spot.
The only green in sight was the moss that covered many of the rocks and fallen trees. All else was the standard mix of winter greys and browns.
It felt so good to be back in nature after our annual winter hibernation, that I am seriously thinking about repeating the experience today. Mother Nature, here comes your son.
winter seed pod
thistle and teazle
On Monday's outing in the snow, I came across some thistle and teazle and thought they were pretty interesting.
The snow was being blown by the wind and only one side of them was covered.I had to grab the stalks while I was shooting to keep them in focus. Can you tell which is the thistle and which is the teazle?
One of the plants had an industrial use. It was used by fullers to comb cloth.
The other just sticks to your clothes and gets caught in your pets fur. Can you tell the difference?
three little birds
Three small barn swallows resting on a ledge in the main barn at Carriage Hill. They constantly flit around the inside of the barn, never letting you near. This image was taken with the 70-210mm lens set at 210mm.
tim mcmurdo 