Monday, December 2, 2013

Lichen and Bare Trees

Sunday was surprisingly mild, with damp air, temps in the 30s, and soft blue skies.

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The marshy lake-around-the-corner is iced over with a layer of mottled silver. The geese have flown, and the water is silent.


A milkweed near the start of my trail looks like a happy monster with a mouthful of fluffy seeds:


Some lovely contrails cross the sky:


At the edge of the thicket glimpsed above, a new stretch of trail has been opened up:


I pass a Very Large Hole - nearly a foot wide - which is obviously someone's front door:


What sort of animal lives here? I wonder. Something with an extensive burrow - there are several more holes in the vicinity (though none quite as large as this one).

There's plenty of colourful lichen on this stretch of the trail. Lime green and pale blue-grey:


Antique gold:


 Vivid orange and silvery grey:


(What colour yarn could you make with these? Annie and Snowcatcher might know....)

A tiny nest punctuates bare branches:


At my feet is a clump of moss, lush and cushiony like a miniscule green carpet:


Around the corner and into the next field, where delicate dried grasses fringe the prairie restoration project...


...their leaves cascading like ribbons beneath the lacy seed heads:


Dried mullein:



Tiny ghosts of goldenrod:


Clouds swoop and dip over a lacy line of trees that edge the pond...


...a pond covered with white-satin ice tinted peach by the westering sun:


After a week of work and intensive crochet, it's good to get outside and see sun and sky, ice and moss, lichen and bare trees.

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P.S. Don't forget to enter the Grateful Giveaway - you could win a special issue of Interweave Crochet, Interweave Knits, or Stitch magazine (and of course the statutory chocolate which is a part of every Micawber giveaway). Giveaway ends December 8th, so hop over and leave a comment now! :)

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16 comments:

  1. The picture of the milkweed is so beautiful! You definitely have an eye for the creative. :-)

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  2. You have a such a beautiful way with words, so descriptive.

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  3. What amazing photos. So glad you had a chance to get outside and enjoy the beautiful season.

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  4. Thank you, Sue. I loved savoring your beautiful post :)
    Gracie xx

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  5. Stunning pictures punctuated with well-strung words. Winter is an inspiring season, all the more so because we must work a little harder to find its beauty at times.

    Warm wishes,

    Stephanie xx

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  6. Such a beautiful time of the year when we can see the naked structures of the trees against the sky. I like the nest perched in one of the trees!

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  7. Great pictures, love the faded colors of nature against the moss, lichen and that blue sky. The milkweed needs some little googly eyes!

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  8. I always love it when I hear that 30's temps are mild. We have 70's temps here in southwest Louisiana today. But we will be back to the 30's again this weekend. "Hopscotch" weather is what I call it. Love your photos from your walks. Linda

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  9. Starting to look very cold but those blue skies are beautiful. Juliex

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  10. I'm not a fan of winter, but I do see the beauty of it. That might be a badger sett.

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  11. I love, love, love these pictures. You've captured winter perfectly in them. That to me looks like a badger set but I'm not sure if you have badgers in America? Do you?
    Rosie xx

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  12. How lovely! The beautiful lichens indicate that the air is nice and clean where you live :) I hope I'll be able to go out and take some pictures tomorrow. It's wonderful to live in a place where nature goes to sleep during winter.

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  13. Your pictures and words really bring out the beauty any season, and weather.

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  14. Love that carpet of green shot; the angle of view is awesome.

    Don't know what colors come from the lichen when used as dye, but sure love the colors where they are. As if someone splattered glow in the dark paint!

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  15. Beautiful, beautiful pictures Sue.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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