beech

 

~~~~~

a gentle reminder

There was a tiny chance of snow in the forecast last night.

And that's what we got: a tiny snow.

If the air hadn't still been very cold, sunrise would have melted it.

I hastened outside to give the hens a Special Breakfast,

see what Hazel and Bud thought about their First Snow,

and take a few snaps.

 

Because I didn't bother with gloves - or a coat, for that matter -

I soon realized that it was indeed very cold.

Had to thaw the ice in gate latches and break ice in the water buckets.

I took only a very few snaps before heading inside

to hold my fingers under cold water for a minute, then warm water.

Ahhh. That's better.

Then I had a bowl of curry for breakfast.

I'm not saying I feel like this mushroom:

No.

I feel like the mushroom behind that mushroom.

But the sky is becoming a pale blue and it's not raining,

so today is going to be a fine day for doing things.

For doing All The Things.

I hope!

Because this tiny snow is the gentle - if chilly - harbinger of Winter.

And there are just a few things that still need to be done.

~~~~~

beech

There isn't any season of a beech tree's life that isn't beautiful to me,

but leaf-out is always especially fine.

~~~~~

a note from saturday morning

Yesterday was refreshingly sunny.

Bright blue skies!

Fluffy wisps of clouds sailing by!

They were sailing, of course, because it was windy. It was also very cold.

Piper insisted on coming out for the first session of morning chores, but expressed a wish (immediately granted) to return to her cozy bed long before those chores were finished.

 "Okay, I see you have an adequate handle on the chores.

You can take it from here. I'll be in my office."

Meanwhile, at the sliding glass door on the porch, Moxie and Della have front-row seats for Squirrel Theatre. Performances scheduled daily, under the birdfeeders.

Della: "Athletic but incoherent performance."

Moxie: "I liked him much better as Hamlet."

More snow is predicted this weekend. And Monday.

Also: Wednesday and Thursday.

This morning, the sky is dense and grey again.

So...

let's have another look at yesterday's sky, shall we?

Red oak, white pine, American beech.

Quercus rubra, Pinus strobus, Fagus grandifolia.

A dear and familiar skyscape.

Sugar maple and white birch.

Acer saccharum and Betula papyrifera.

When I want a lesson in survival,

I look to trees.

I hope your Saturday is beautiful.

~~~~~

it only comes once a year

Fagus grandifolia

"American beech"

Leaf-out is always a deeply inspiring time of year for me,

and beech leaf-out is one of my favorite miracles.

Beech is one of my favorite hardwoods anyway, at any season and at all stages of its life. I love every shade of every color in the leaves, and the cool, smooth grey of the boles and branches.

I love the way some of the leaves will remain on beeches throughout Autumn and Winter, dried and shaped by the prevailing winds until the entire tree takes on a sculptural quality. On a calm Winter's day without a breath of a breeze, the beech still appears to be in motion. It's a brilliant artistic collaboration between the trees and the wind.

And it's all beginning again, right now.

Right this minute.

Once it begins, beech leaf-out happens very quickly.

 

I am so glad I had the chance to see it again.

~~~

These pictures are all from a couple of young beech saplings, about ten feet tall, that I saw on my walk with Piper this morning. The black flies are terrible right now, so this was the only time I stood still for more than a few seconds; the rest of our walk was at a fairly steady pace.

It was apparently exhausting.

Well...not really. I'd like to pretend I walked so far and so fast that I wore Piper out, but in fact this Extreme Nap was the result of the big lunch she had when we got home.

~~~~~

browns

There are so many variations on brown.

I love browns.

Like the browns in winter beech leaves.

Or in this daylily seedpod.

Or in this stalk of Chelone obliqua.
Wild-looking, isn't it?
Worth a close look!

~~~

If you'd like to compare,

here is a post with some pictures of Chelone blooming.

And here is a post with the daylilies blooming.

And here: brand-new beech leaves and other mid-May greenery.

Soon - well, pretty soon - green will be everywhere.

I don't mind waiting.

I love the greens, I do.

But I also love the browns.

~~~~~

saturday snap

~~~~~

here

I've been watching Spring appear on blogs all over the northern hemisphere. 

Watching and waiting.

Waiting and watching.

And now it's here.

It's HERE!

Wildflowers are coming up,

the early leaves showing the nipping effects of frost.

(And sometimes, hens.)

It's not always a smooth entry into Spring. 

But the plants prevail!

There's green everywhere, but also purple.

Lots of purple.

And soon, unless we have more frost (or snow),

there will be tiny yellow lilies blooming here.

It's the madcap rush of Spring.

The view is changing by the hour.

~~~

With the little barn up,

I must now focus on the gardens.

And quickly.

Lots of prep work still to be done, 

but I had to wait for the heavy equipment

to come (and tear things up) and go

before making final decisions about locations.

Meanwhile...

I think some of these little seedlings

are ready for the big world.

But...it's rainy today.

And rain is predicted for the next nine days.

NINE days.

(That's just how far the forecast goes.

For all I know, there's another 31 predicted.)

So, what should I do?

Should I be trying to get these fragile, housegrown plants

into the ground right away?

Or should I be glad I haven't planted them already,

just in time to be washed away? 

I don't know the answer, but I hope you do!

These leggy seedlings seem to need more 

than their tiny peat balls and a window,

and someone to turn the trays around every day.

Dear gardeners:

How can I help them through this phase and into

a bright and productive future?

Advice very welcome!

~~~

And one more picture,

of one of my very favorite trees:

Fagus grandifolia, American Beech.

Beautiful at every season.

~~~~~

fresh greens

Fresh greens, and lots of them!

I've been going out in the early morning, after chores, to photograph the greens.

Don't you love watching the new growth on trees?
The buds and flowers and foliage?

The initial fragility of the leaves and needles that will be relied upon to support the tree never fails to amaze me.

Every year, it amazes me.

Here in New England, there are shapes, colors and textures that appear for only a very short time each year - weeks, or even days.

Would you like to see some?

I winnowed down from about 80 images, because you may have other things to do besides looking at pictures of leaves.
And needles.

But do you have time for just seven?

White Birch (Betula papyrifera)

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

North American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

 Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Black birch (Betula nigra)

 Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

~~~

Ahhhhhh.  Isn't that a breath of cool morning air, after chores?
~~~

Coming soon: 
goat updates (and names to be chosen!)
a handy (yet unlikely) kitchen tip
and a special yarny giveaway!

~~~~~