Catkins

Yard, sidewalk, and driveway littered with birch catkins after yesterday’s storm.

Catkins on grass

Female, pistillate, flower

Male, staminate, flower dangling, with pistillate flower above.

The female flowers create little “cones” holding thousands of seeds which are released in late winter looking like pepper on snow. A big tree like ours can produce a million seed each year.

In Transition

We pre-packed the vehicles just to see what would fit, and by gum, most of it did. Travel light has never been our mantra, though it does have its appeal.

Vigorous afternoon thunderstorm, welcome both as a work break and as sustenance for all the new plantings.

The transition from SAE to Metric is always a bit wrenching.

Well Moisturized

Maybe two inches of rain overnight.

This not uncommon spring weather pattern, has, I’m glad to say, exhibited itself maybe three times so far this spring. Moisture from the Gulf slides up in a wide band all the way from Rockport to Sault Ste. Marie (and points north).
Last night the band kept sliding past us here in Whitewater just a bit to the west. For an hour or two we got lightning and thunder but no rain. But then the general eastward movement of the band brought it over us and we had wind and lots of rain, making everything even greener, and, ideally filling up the big lakes.

In further news, a large and noisy flock of gold finches has descended on the neighborhood. Perhaps they were brought and dropped here by the storm.

Photo Workshop…

…set up by Renee for the Merton 4-H group. Great kids, great fun, and, since each kid will be entering the county fair photo contest, a whole lot of winners.

Potential prizewinner by Ellie.

Beautiful spring shot by Maddie.

And an incredible shot by Becca who found a tiny toy tractor by a path and turned it into a certain blue ribbon.