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Pretty Prickly Sourpuss

Neither Holly Nor Grape. I’m enjoying my last day in DC with a brisk walk through the lovely old neighborhood of Tenleytown. Colonial homes and row houses snuggle up close to one another, tiny yards lavishly abloom with azaleas, rhododendron, crimson phlox and masses of fragrant iris. In the midst of all this riotous color and perfume, my eye is drawn to this prickly holly lookalike shrub bearing thick clusters of dusty blue, mouth-puckering berries. Say “hello” to berberis

2 days ago1 min read

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TRAIN OF THOUGHT

Pretty Prickly Sourpuss

Neither Holly Nor Grape. I’m enjoying my last day in DC with a brisk walk through the lovely old neighborhood of Tenleytown. Colonial homes and row houses snuggle up close to one another, tiny yards lavishly abloom with azaleas, rhododendron, crimson phlox and masses of fragrant iris. In the midst of all this riotous color and perfume, my eye is drawn to this prickly holly lookalike shrub bearing thick clusters of dusty blue, mouth-puckering berries. Say “hello” to berberis

2 days ago1 min read

Polyonomous Promise

On the fringe of Spring. Walking along the sidewalk in Washington DC on a beautiful spring afternoon, this frilly, fragrant blossom caught my attention. Meet “Grancy Graybeard”, also known as grandfather graybeard, granddaddy’s beard, old-man’s beard, snow flower tree, or flowering ash, and technically, chionanthus virginicus. Trees sometimes have multiple names because of commingled colloquial and common names and standardized, scientific Latin names . C ommon names often

Apr 181 min read

Tawny Triplet

Pretty river birch awaits Spring. I found a new trail today, oh boy! Inconspicuously tucked behind a big sprawling senior residence, the trail branched into a network of hard-packed earthen paths and offered a number of walking routes that snaked around 2 hidden lakes and dozens of ponds and wetlands interconnected by creeks and streams. What a happy find! It’s still too early to declare spring, but the snow is gone and the woodland is just beginning to come alive. "Dear, h

Apr 131 min read

Spruce Blobs

Woodworkers’ treasure. Hints of spring are everywhere—an unusually warm afternoon that doesn’t require a parka, daylight that lasts past dinner time, an occasional whiff of earthy aroma along the trail. But Up North along the big lake there’s still plenty of ice and snow. A few days in a rustic cabin watching Lake Superior crash upon the rocks provided one last, dramatic dose of winter. Bundled up and walking along the trail I came across this knobby, blobby spruce tree.

Mar 301 min read