My cacti are loving the warm weather and the fact that they are once again outside for the season. Of all my plants, my cacti are the least fussy; they thrive on neglect. And yet they produce flowers as gorgeous as my most finicky plants. They are a reminder to take the time to pay attention to simple joys in my life, and not let the finicky and demanding concerns of life take over my entire perspective.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Terrestrial garter snake--Daily Detail
Today while Greg and I were biking on the Legacy Parkway Trail, we saw this garter snake sunning itself.
As I pulled up and turned around to go get a better look, Greg said, "Now don't go and pick it up!"
Sometimes, I think he knows me too well. I didn't pick it up at his behest, but I did snap a few photos.
Via Flickr:
Legacy Parkway Trail, Farmington, Utah
As I pulled up and turned around to go get a better look, Greg said, "Now don't go and pick it up!"
Sometimes, I think he knows me too well. I didn't pick it up at his behest, but I did snap a few photos.
Via Flickr:
Legacy Parkway Trail, Farmington, Utah
Friday, April 20, 2012
Quaking Aspen--Daily Detail
Aspens are almost never still. A mere breath of a breeze will stir the leaves into motion. Despite their nearly constant motion, aspens fill me with peace. I could spend hours watching how the light plays through the leaves and branches of aspen trees. The light and shadows are endlessly changing.
Aspens are fascinating to me for many reasons. The leaves are so susceptible to movement because of their flattened and flexible petioles. The trees reproduce by cloning, so entire aspen groves can actually be a single genetic individual. Within a single aspen clone, thousands of trees with identical genes grow side by side, yet each one is also unique. Aspen bark is smooth and white, a perfect canvas for carving. Arboglyphs, carvings by Basque shepherds, can be found in many aspen groves in the Great Basin. While in the company of aspens, there is always something intriguing to contemplate.
I have three full grown aspens in my yard. They are working hard at cloning themselves, and many baby aspens pop up in the lawn every summer. I am singling out a few and allowing them to grow. Someday, I hope to enjoy an aspen grove in my backyard. In the meantime, I enjoy each individual aspen I have.
Aspens are fascinating to me for many reasons. The leaves are so susceptible to movement because of their flattened and flexible petioles. The trees reproduce by cloning, so entire aspen groves can actually be a single genetic individual. Within a single aspen clone, thousands of trees with identical genes grow side by side, yet each one is also unique. Aspen bark is smooth and white, a perfect canvas for carving. Arboglyphs, carvings by Basque shepherds, can be found in many aspen groves in the Great Basin. While in the company of aspens, there is always something intriguing to contemplate.
I have three full grown aspens in my yard. They are working hard at cloning themselves, and many baby aspens pop up in the lawn every summer. I am singling out a few and allowing them to grow. Someday, I hope to enjoy an aspen grove in my backyard. In the meantime, I enjoy each individual aspen I have.
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