dried plants – Cynthia M Voss

Mail Icicles

The post office had some cool icicles the other day.

The grasses below collected and reforged their drops.

W is for Windblown #AtoZChallenge

You could no longer bend with the wind. Yesterday it broke you down, revealing that you weren’t as strong as we thought. You had a weakness that you kept hidden. Was it worms that did this? Or maybe insects or fungi that caused this weariness?

We wept for a moment near you, wished you well, and walked on, past the wasted part of the wood.

Q is for Quiver #AtoZChallenge

Dry, yellowed beech leaves
like parchment quiver and shift, crinkle and twist,
on each flowing breath of wind.
Last year won’t let go.

H is for Happy Little Tree #AtoZChallenge

Who doesn’t love Bob Ross? He paints and teaches with such love that I can’t help but relax and fall into a happy little trance when I watch The Joy of Painting.

I saw this tiny tree on a walk yesterday and wanted to wish it good luck.

I hope you grow up strong and happy, little tree.

V is for Vegetation, Dried 2

Same topic as last year for V.

I love dried flowers and plants and I think it’s because they are similar to abandoned places–even though they are past their prime in the traditional sense, they still have their own kind of beauty.

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I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge for the month of April. The idea is to post every day, except Sundays, and end up with one post for each letter of the alphabet. It’s a good challenge to help me to blog every day.

U is for Urchin

This is an urchin I saw at the pet store last year. It’s in somber monochrome now, but in the link are some colorful photos of the many creatures I saw on my visit.

I submitted it to Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness a while back but never posted it on my own site. Here’s a link to the most recent MM, in case you’re curious.

Same with this photo below. It appeared in MM, but never here.

I like the A to Z Challenge because for some reason it helps me get caught up on posts that I’ve been wanting to do but never seem to get around to doing.

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Hydrangeas in Winter

The hydrangea plants are sticking out of the snow.

I have taken pictures of them faded pink in fall, and also in the summer, full of purples, pinks, and blues.

Before they bloomed, I even spotted a ladybug on the unopened flowers.

They still look beautiful.

Photo Challenge: Afloat

The theme of the week is afloat.

I came across this dried plant and noticed several seeds still clinging to the pod after sitting like this all winter long. With spring’s breezes finally starting to whip up, I believe the seeds will not be clinging to their home for long and will soon find themselves afloat.

They may float down to the ground and sprout, surviving as new plants. There’s a good chance they will end up in the pond, where they will be afloat once more, briefly. They may become food for a bird, insect, or other critter. Or they may settle softly in the dirt. No one knows where any of us will end up.