I was doing some garden work this weekend – pruning flowers, pulling weeds, and trying to tidy up a summer’s worth of growth. We’ve had an unusually wet summer which has allowed some plants to grow like weeds (and even the weeds have been growing prolifically too!). As I was going about my work I was surprised to find this grasshopper sitting and watching all I was doing. He didn’t attempt to jump away, but rather he seemed content to be out in the open and observing. He had a great place to sit, perched on the head of the black-eyed susan. It’s always fun to find creatures in the garden, whether it’s grasshoppers, bees, butterflies, or even the occasional dried shell left behind by a cicada. Within a few weeks many of the creatures will have left the area in preparation for fall and then winter. And hopefully my pruning will be done and the garden beds will be put to rest and covered before the first snowfall.
St. Paul
Balancing act
I’m pleased to announce that I have a collection of photographs that will be exhibited at the Hudson Hospital in Hudson, Wisconsin beginning this Wednesday, August 3rd. The hospital has a wonderful healing arts program which includes over 200 works of art throughout the entire campus, including patient rooms. My images for this exhibit are titled “Close to Home.” I have been interested in the belief held by so many people that we must travel to faraway places to find the beautiful things in our world. Yet in the small area of my city lot with its small brick house and gardens is a world of great beauty and wonder, like this monarch butterfly that balanced on a purple coneflower one hot day in July. The exhibit runs from August 3rd through December 11th. There is an artist reception this Friday, August 5th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. I invite any one near the Twin Cities area to come to the reception or to stop by the Hudson Hospital to see their fine exhibit. For more information about the hospital or for directions, please go to www.hudsonhospital.org.
Spring is here
With a delightful flourish spring is here! The past week has been a roller coaster of temperatures, from 39 degrees to 88 degrees, from sun to rain, from thunderstorms and peach-colored skies to clouds of gray. You name it, we’ve had it, including reports of snow flurries mixed in with the rain of yesterday. All this moisture with intervals of heat and sun have caused the trees to leaf out, tulips to bloom, lilacs to blossom. Such a great amount of activity packed into a short time-frame. When I lived in the Pacific Northwest spring lasted from February through June — probably the longest season of the year. Now that I’m in Minnesota our spring seems to be anywhere from two weeks to a month long. We linger in winter, jump through spring and straight into summer. Our spring days are presently filled with the sounds of birds chirping and lawn mowers being started. Neighbors are getting reacquainted after the cold winter. People are walking, running, biking – anything to be outside. Our backyard has become filled with color — green leaves and grass, yellow and red tulips, and the deep burgundy of the new peony shoots. It’s a joy to be outside to take it all in.
Yellow of spring
The one color that sums up everything about spring is yellow. It’s the color of sunshine, the color of warmth, and the color of daffodils. These bright flowers shine with color and promise and brighten any day. Although we don’t have daffodils blooming outside just yet, I was fortunate to find these lovely blooms at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. They speak to me of warmer temperatures, the end of winter, the hope of spring, and the promise of summer.
Something other than winter
It is snowing now as I write this, and with the prospect of snow on four of the next five days, I just couldn’t bring myself to post another photo of winter, no matter how white, peaceful, calm, and beautiful it might be. So I went looking for something with the color of green – the color of spring and hope and warmth. These calla lilies seemed to fit the bill, even if they do include quite a bit of white! The gentle arches and curves of the flowers struck me as both delicate and beautiful. And in this image their colors take on a soft wash because of the shallow depth of field with the photograph. I know spring will yet arrive, even if winter has its tight-fisted grip on us for a bit longer.
lindastaatsphoto.com 