From my walk today, I offer these three signs of springtime: another tulip poplar leaf emerging from the bud; a bluebird on a fence rail; and a dogwood tree in bloom.
Apr 022014
Apr 022014
I ventured out to Piney Woods Church Road today shortly after discovering that one of our cats, an orange and white adolescent Manx cat shaped rather like a bowling pin, had sneaked outside last night and was missing. My walk was necessarily distracted, as I paused every few steps either to take a photograph, call out the cat’s name, or a combination of the two. Early on my walk, I glimpsed a pink tree blooming in a backyard beside the road — crabapple, I think. Here is my impression of the tree — a bit unfocused, like myself at the time.
Just as I began writing this post, the prodigal kitten returned, none the worse for wear, but rather hungry.
Apr 012014
I offer one more image of an unfurling tulip poplar leaf. I can almost touch the hairs on this leaf, and the silky softness of the covering on the bud.
Apr 012014
I love the way that this particular greenbrier leaf glows in the afternoon light. I have stopped to appreciate it several times, and photograph it on a couple of occasions. Today, I share this image with you.
Apr 012014
I am embarrassed — quite literally — by the riches of this springtime. Again and again, I find myself at a loss as to what a blooming roadside weed, shrub, or even tree might be. Today, along Piney Woods Church Road, I encountered a tree, still devoid of leaves, holding clusters of brightly glowing tiny yellow blooms. I scanned my tree field guides and hundreds of images on the Internet in vain. I suspect it is a tree of which I am quite familiar, but one that I have never noticed in blossom before. Over the years, I have spent many spring days in search of woodland wildflowers, learning their forms and habits. Yet I have never bothered to learned to identify trees by their blooms. I suppose I will have to wait for the leaves…..
Addendum: On April 3rd, I finally figured out what these blossoms are: sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Compare the image below to this one.
Mar 302014
Another trio of tulip poplar images, from today’s Piney Woods Church Road outing.
Mar 302014
If I’m not going to be a popular photographer, I think I will at least be a poplar one! The tulip poplar leaves are continuing to unfold from their buds along Piney Woods Church Road, and I remain entranced by the process. Here are three more images, from yesterday’s walk.
Mar 272014
Along Piney Woods Church Road, some tulip poplar saplings are continuing to burst their buds and fill out with leaves. I have never noticed the process before — how graceful the unfurling can be. I could fill my camera’s memory cards with photographs of buds and tiny leaves.
Mar 272014
At last, I found a few tiny violets blooming along the side of the ditch where Piney Woods Church Road meets Hutcheson Ferry Road. In this photograph, a violet beams at me in the afternoon sunlight against a background of pure blue sky.
Mar 252014
Over the past three months, I have taken several dozen photographs of the thick, wiry vines of greenbrier, festooned with massive thorns and draping themselves along several of the tree trunks along Piney Woods Church Road. Today, when I had no intention of trying to do so, I caught an image of them that I find striking. If a jazz riff could be photographed, perhaps it would look something like this.
