How does a hardy Wisconsin gal prepare for a garden walk-around on a mild day during a January thaw?
First, she looks out the upstairs window and surveys the landscape.
"Frankly, it looks kinda blah," she says to herself.
"Then again, the snow is mostly melted. Maybe there's something fun to discover out there ..."
So, she slips on her heavy-duty snow boots ...
Throws on a lightweight denim coat and gloves with fingers (for ease in operating her camera) ...
And begins to discover extraordinary beauty in very simple things.
Soft, evergreen Lamium plants under the receding snow.
A thriving sedge she transplanted into a pot last summer.
Evidence that birds have gained sustenance from the Echinacea plants.
The worn but welcoming backyard swing.
The surprisingly vivid glow of the dried Sedums.
Amazing mosses thriving in their perfectly cool growing conditions.
Buds on the Lilac bush waiting for their time to shine.
A long, decaying log covered in lacy fungi.
Is this Trametes versicolor? Or Bjerkandera adusta? Something else? (I'm consulting with mycologists behind the scenes to find out.)
Before she heads inside, she sits briefly on the bench at the back of the woods.
And as she approaches the house, she notices a large Black Oak leaf--larger than her hand. Why does this hefty, impressive leaf make her smile?
Perhaps because she feels so thankful for the great gift of a simple walk on a mild winter day.
Nature Notes on Rambling Woods
