Floating in clouds

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Zig zag in green

Blueberry blossoms!

Oh, what a happy surprise to find this patch of blue berry... yes, BLUE BERRY blossoms!  These may be blueberries or bilberries, I do not know which, but they will definitely produce blue berries.  Unless a frost damages them or lack of rain dries them up or the black bears scour the patch.  With last year's dismal blueberry crop, all blueberries fiends have high hopes for this summer, for hours of squatting and crawling through patches that are more blue than green, reaching for plump berries with seemingly permanently stained fingers, filling buckets blue to the brim to turn into fresh blueberry pie and smoothies, to be stockpiled in the freezer for that time when reminder of summer is needed, or to be like me with a handful to the mouth for each one to the bucket while singing "Best when fresh!" with a blue-tinged grin.

May 3rd seems a bit early to find blueberry blossoms.  Maybe it's a record.  Or maybe I just happened to find a microclimate.  What do you think?!?

Read my Berry Crop post from last summer.

Berry Crop

The juneberries were plentiful this year, but the blueberry harvest is a disappointing situation. So, this year, after an evening in a blueberry patch, I have my berry crop. My Blueberry Crop is available in a variety of formats, including small individual 3" prints and a four-square as a 7"x7" print, each printed on cotton watercolor paper with a deckled edge. In limited supply, I am also offering mini cards of the berry crop; these are 2"x2" cards in a variety set of 6. Oh - the sweetness!

Fine Art Prints on 100% cotton paper with a hand-deckled edge:

3" x 3" Blueberry Print ~ $20

6" x 6" Blueberry Crop 4-square ~ $55

Variety set of 6 mini cards ~ $12

Cotton grass

This week I found ripe blueberries - yum! But the treasure of the day was finding cotton grass this late in the summer and in a location that I could access without hip-waders! Driving north to Ely six years ago, I was mesmerized by the shining white puffs amidst the greens of the bogs. Numerous times I would stop along the road, hoping to find a way to get up close to these gems; alas, I was always stymied by the water levels and a lack of tall waterproof boots. This week I followed the treasure trail of blue over rocky terrain until I reached a small marshy area. The cotton "flowers" were a happy surprise, and even better was the realization that the water level was pretty low. So... with camera in hand, I carefully stepped out to the cotton grass. Yes, my feet did get wet in my inappropriate footwear - a minor inconvenience for a long awaited meeting.

ahhh... refreshing!

Finding wintergreen was appropriate on this day where we gazed upon the last remnants of snow. Yes... thanks to someone's knowledge of the local terrain and skill at finding a deep gully out of the direct sunlight, I had a most definite sighting of snow on May 15th. Please... leave the snow to melt into faint memories; the find of the day was the plenitude of wintergreen berries, refreshment topped off with the briefest mingling with icy cold water.

Did you know wintergreen can alleviate swelling of joints? Read more about wintergreen here and about wintergreen berries here.

communion in quietude

One berry, two... ?

The sole berry left on this bush nourished me while I nourished the mosquitoes, more delighted than me I'm sure, to have a stationary target for a bloody tasty feast. Despite the swishing away of mosquitoes, I had my own fill, evidenced by fingers, lips, and teeth tinged with blue.

I was picking the "seconds" in this blueberry patch. I'm convinced that "seconds" are a good deal. Once the first berries are picked, the next batch has the opportunity to become quite plump and really tasty.

Center within

A steady, persistent rain is falling from the sky.

How fortunate for the plants, the flowers, the newly planted gardens.

And, for me, to center on joy and peace within.

Fuzzy Bumblebees

Lupine fiesta

Sitting with the lupines, I listened to the quiet of the evening... and the hum of the bumblebees as they spiraled around the columns. The bees moved efficiently from one pod to the next, quickly and gently opening it and reaching in for the sweetness.

Life lines II

Life lines

One day bloom

The transplant has a one day bloom.

The cactus reminds me...

of Arizona, a place I love to explore.

My good friends are moving to Arizona.

Another good friend has it as a possibility.

Stars align, and...

Helicopters

Helicopter, helicopter, over my head.

I choose a color, and the color is... red!

Spring green abounds, now interspersed with bits of red as the maples sprout their leaves. The forest plants are growing - crowding out the empty spaces.

Love all

Love

the flowers, the plants, the green, the sun, the rain.

Love life,

the sun and the shadow,

the peace, the joy, the pain.

Rejoice

and embrace all.

After weeks of sunshine, the clouds have moved in and raindrops are spattering against the dry earth. We all have been waiting for this.

Tulips

Signs of spring continue their coloring of the landscape. The gardens near my home have splashes of yellows and reds amid the green. A peek out my window in the morning is a lovely way to commence the day.

Sunshine

Daffodils are blooming by the dozens.

We have the flowers, but where are those April showers?

Flowers & fools

(Some) flowers are blooming - no fooling! Is the fool the one on all fours once again captivated by the luscious hues of purple petals? Nahhhh... And, let us hope that the odd little creatures with house fly wings and bits of yellow fuzz meandering about the crocus patch this morning are not on a fool's mission.

SPRING!

Yes, I have been hesitant to let myself think of true spring. Two solid reasons for this are 1) I love snow and late-winter skiing on the lakes (which did not happen this year for me) and 2) the cold and, especially, snow are likely to make encore appearances in March and April. However, this morning as I wheeled down my driveway on my bike, which I have been doing for a couple weeks now, a patch of purple popped into my color-starved vision field. Whoa! Jamming on the brakes, I left my bike with wheels spinning and skipped across the grass. Yes, crocuses were in bloom in the morning sunshine! Seating myself on the earth peppered with the old grass of last year and teasers of new green, my eyes savored the sight of the crocuses opening their petals... Spring!

Note: This was also the first day I rode my bike without mittens and went for a walk with no jacket, no hat, no mittens!