florjus blog
Spring 2024
Samaras
I've misspelled samara as samsaras for years. I discovered this after reading an essay on Buddhist philosophy.
Though this is not the place for in depth explanations about Buddhism (I'm unqualified to do that), my general understanding is that samsara is the cycles of birth and death.
Such a concept is in keeping with Freeman maple samaras, curiously designed like propellers, that will travel with the breeze to search for a place to become a tree.
Watch maple samaras flutter while still on the tree in a short video.
Partial Eclipse
The partial solar eclipse wasn't dramatic. It was a lovely spring day with the moon acting as the sun's dimmer switch.
Early spring is greener than last year, thank goodness.
To a simple woman such as myself, backlit leaves Common Teasel (Dipsacus Fullonum) are magical. Love the drift of flowering dead nettles.
Charming baby White Oak leaves (Quercus Alba) in the partial eclipse's golden light.
White Oak's tassel flowers double the charm of the translucent baby leaves.
It's been a while since I've seen a groundhog emerge from this burrow. Maybe it's home to a new resident.
Cherry tree blossoms were still hanging on.
Soft shadows of maple samsaras on the pavement create an abstract painting.
The geese couple takes a mid afternoon flight; they're usually spotted in the sky around sunset.
Pink Spring Sunset
I've never let spring creep up on me before. At least not that I remember. I pride myself on noticing the buds long before the blossoms.
Part of me acknowledges that my attention was elsewhere. Another part knows that spring has come earlier in the past several years.
The callery pear and cherry blossoms covered the branches before I spotted a single wild daffodil.
I planned to photograph the waxing gibbous moon above the white tree blossoms. By the time I made it outside, the moon was too high in the sky to capture that image.
The setting sun casting a pinkish light on the forest of white blossoms mesmerized.
