mullein

When I photographed this mullein plant,

it was only moments away from losing it's light layer of frost.

Can you see it?

The morning sun was just coming up through the trees, so plants close to the ground were still coated with frost. The trees were intercepting the sun rays, and frost on hemlock needles and beech leaves was sparkling and literally disappearing before my eyes. Melted frost dripped from the tips of beech leaves faster than I could focus on an individual droplet.

This particular mullein plant has given me a lot of pleasure this year.

It grew in the Very Raised Bed, so I walked by often and stopped to admire it many, many times.

You may already know that mullein is a biennial plant. The first year there is a rapidly-growing basal rosette of thick, fuzzy "bunny ears."

(That may sound twee or childish, but I defy anyone to see that first rosette of mullein leaves in the Spring and not think of soft furry ears.)
The second year, the plant produces it's impressive stalk and flowers. I find mullein visually interesting at all stages of it's life, and all year round.

Mullein is always a popular plant with pollen-gatherers.

This one had frequent visitors:

I did an ink-and-watercolor drawing based on that same cluster of blossoms. Can you tell I was drawing a stalk that was far over my head?

The big soft leaves and sunny flowers made me smile so many times all through the summer. And come next Spring, I'll hope to find new mullein plants, offspring of this one, sprouting nearby.

But meanwhile, right now, I find this plant so beautiful.

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just a dusting

Lingering flakes decorate the Chalet de Capri.

It started snowing around 545 this morning, and stopped within an hour. Every surface was still covered with snow when the goats began to stir.

The babies had never seen snow before. Tsuga barely seemed to notice, and got right on with her breakfast. Sambucus was a bit unsettled. Fortunately, a few pieces of apple peel brought the world right back onto its axis.

Mmmmmm...apple! Watch your fingers!

It's cold enough that even now, when the sun is going down, there is still a little snow here and there.

I've taken many photographs of this particular mullein plant, as it is between the house and the goat barn. This is what it looked like in mid-May. Every morning, it seemed more soft new leaves had magically appeared in a furry rosette on the ground:

By early June, it was knee-high.

By July, shoulder-high mullein stalks were rising dramatically above other vegetation. As soon as the first flowers began to open, bees appeared and got right to work.

And on this November morning I had to hold my camera straight up over my head to take this picture of the top of the stalk:

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A little dusting of snow is a gentle way of easing into winter.

Just a little reminder of where we're headed.

As if a reminder is needed!

As I fall asleep at night, I'm thinking about which pre-Winter task takes priority the next day. And every morning I regretfully add items to the task list.

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I just came in from giving the goats their evening hay, and I had to break through the ice on their water buckets again. So yes, Winter is very much on my mind.

But that's no reason to forget all about Spring, is it?

Let's see. Here's a reminder of Spring:

At 3 weeks old, Tsuga discovered the Chalet and immediately attempted to scale it. She saw no reason to subdue her optimism in the face of Gravity. I think I will try to follow this model in relation to Winter.

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