68: a shrubbery

while waiting for the eldest to get two small cavities filled (only one of us could go back with him due to space, and he chose daddy), i took the opportunity to capture an interesting shrub planted along the sidewalk of the shopping center where our dentist is located...

speaking of teeth~ bitty girl is currently cutting her canines...  which means she wakes up every 3.5 minutes and mama can't stay on the computer long enough to figure out what this is right now...  will update later.

66/67: rookery

another twofer, since i didn't get an opportunity to photograph yesterday...  today, my sons and i went to the Blue Heron Rookery for the first time.  no flora info, as i have no idea what kinds of trees they are nesting in (the viewing area is across the river), but these were two of my favorite shots of the day:

heading away from the nest:

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

returning with a stick (he passed the nesting area and circled back around, which is why it looks like he is going in the same direction as above):

looking forward to returning!  

want to see more? 

65: winter fever

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata

64: outdoor carpet

i actually took my camera to work today, and caught sight of this little blanket of moss in the sun as i rounded the corner into a parking lot that i cut through to get into our lot.

and since i couldn't decide which i liked better, here's a little close-up of the sporophytes:

63: potential

Daffodil bud, Narcissus sp.

62: root canal

root of Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum

61: bees knees

Honey Bee, Apis sp., on Purple Deadnettle, Lamium purpureum

60: caw me

Crow, Corvus sp., in Maple, Acer sp. (possibly A. platanoides)

59: sweetened iced tree

more (already melting) snow on Purple Leaf Plum, Prunus cerasifera

58: iced tree

wet, sticky snow on Purple Leaf Plum, Prunus cerasifera

57: ribbed

Ribwort Plantain, Plantago lanceolata

56: kitty crack

New growth of Catmint, Nepeta sp.

55: drip

raindrop on Dogwood, Cornus florida

54: a serious madder

Blue Field Madder, Sherardia arvensis

53: hoping for a kiss



Mistletoe, Phoradendron sp., on Oak, Quercus sp.

too bad i'm spending Valentine's Day a few hundred miles away from my beloved...

52: the gall

Cedar-Apple Rust Gall, Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae,
on Easter Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana

51: brosville moss

we are visiting grammie for a few days, so exploring a little piedmont flora...

Moss, possibly a Ulota sp.?

49/50: snowy disposition

i had a busy, busy day yesterday and didn't get to do my photo, so you get a twofer today.

we've had a really mild winter, but a bit of snow fell this afternoon to remind us that it is still February, after all.
of course, it's already melted and the sun is shining as it sets...

Daffodil, Narcissus sp.

Variegated Periwinkle, Vinca minor 'Argenteovariegata'

48: quincetessential

Flowering Quince, Chaenomeles sp.

47: night intruder

Earwig (>shudder<) next to leaf buds on Lilac, Syringa vulgaris

46: resting on laurels

Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis

45: melt

melting frost on Lavender, Lavendula sp.

44: one who has seen the eye

i bring great evil here...

another phone photo, this time in a target parking lot...    

at present, i don't know what kind of tree this is with no leaves to use for ID, but i may come back to it later in the spring.

43: curly-qs

another phone-at-work photo...  in the rain...
i need to take another look at the rest of the tree to get a better idea of the possible identity, but i was intrigued by the curly seed pods that i had never noticed before...  after 9 years of working there.  #observationFAIL

possible Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis?

42: cardinal virtue

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, in Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum

41: hopeful

my grandmother, Hope, could walk out, look down, and spot a 4-leaf clover almost immediately.  i didn't inherit that particular gift, but i can't see a clover patch without remembering her...

White Clover, Trifoliem repens

40: barking

Moss on Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)