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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morning path

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wordless seedy saturday

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moxie

I tried to get Moxie's "good side" for you.

Pretty easy, really.

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a few snaps

We've had a lot of rain this week, which is good.
We need a LOT of rain - or snow -

to catch up after two very dry years.

I've tried to do the chores during interludes between the rains,

so the goats can enjoy their food outdoors, without jostling.

If they have their meals in the barn, there is extreme jostling.

Someone could get hurt.

It could be me.

Rain or shine, it is a gift to see flowers in the garden in late November!
The plant below was a tiny bundle of leaves when it came home from the Library Plant Sale last year; I think the label was "winter chrysanthemum." I was very happy when it reappeared this year, and began producing tiny flower buds last month. The stems are long, perhaps because it has been striving for the light, but overall it seems healthy. And it's got loads of flowers!
Very cheering when I pass it with the hay cart every day.

I've been trying to do a little knitting his week. There was one sock already on the go, but I just couldn't focus enough to carry on with it. Now I've created some incentive by casting on a little surprise for a friend overseas. I've been working on it in the evenings, after chores.
When Della, Moxie, and Piper are all asleep.
Speaking of interludes!

And speaking of Piper...I'll close this post with a picture I took last week, on a clear, bright day before all the rain started. Piper was helping me with errands in town before we went for a walk in the woods. She looked so windswept and happy - and clean! - I wanted to take a little portrait to share with Ms. Piper's Fan Club:

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