Day 12

I went on a bird photography walk at Cape May with my sister today. She got some good photos of birds - I stayed small... flowers, tree bark, leaves... I don't know what these flowers are, but the bushes were lining the path.

Day 11

The center tubes of Daffodils have the most lovely ruffly edges.

Day 10

I found these violets growing in a neighbor's yard (a different neighbor from yesterday). The pale blue - almost white - color with the dark violet veins is so unusual. The yard is covered with them.

Day 9

I found this flower growing in my neighbor's yard. The pollen grains are the expected yellow - but then there is something bright blue in among the pollen. They smelled heavenly, too.

Day 8

Eastern Red Cedar grows abundantly around here. Of the 2 types of cedar in south Jersey, it is the one that lives in "drier" places. I never knew why it was called "red" cedar - until I saw the tiny little cones at the tips of the twigs.

Day 7

The humble dandelion. Dandelions are good for so much - edible, both the greens and flowers, and can make wine from the flowers!. The root can be roasted and ground as a coffee substitute (if you were so inclined), they're very high in vitamins... and quite pretty!

Day 6

This is the very tip of a bluejay feather. Did you know that bluejay feathers are not really blue? That is, they have no blue pigmentation. According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner"

Day 5

Last fall I planted a dozen tulip bulbs near my front door. Throughout the winter I noticed where the squirrels had been digging in the flowerbed... this one, about to bloom, is the lone tulip survivor among the day lilies and hostas.

Day 4

I found these leaves unfurling themselves from a leaf bud. It's amazing how quickly this happens; it seems almost overnight we go from buds on the trees to full-fledged leaves. I caught these in the act!

Day 3

Thick, lush mats of Chickweed are sprouting up alongside the parking lot next to where I live. The tiny white flowers are 1/8" wide. Chickweed is edible, either cooked or fresh, and also has some medicinal properties. Many so-called "weeds" are actually good food and/or medicine sources.

Day 2

There is an old country road near where I live, where I walk almost every day. It contains a horse farm, another farm that raises grass-fed organic beef, and two farmhouses dating from the 1700s. Along the edge of one of the fields is a row of black cherry trees. They have suddenly burst into bloom.

Day 1

Vernal Equinox ~ There are many Red Maples growing near my house. The tiny red flowers are making their seed pods - these are the helicopters that twirl downward in mid-spring. They are only about 1/4 inch long now.  I love the green color edged with red. When they fell last year, they filled the sky, like being in a snow globe.