Swamp Milkweed

By the water's edge

swamp milkweed thrives and blossoms.

Monarch's favorite food.

Swamp Milkweed

Seems to me Swamp Milkweed looks much more elegant than its name might suggest.

Swamp Milkweed

The swamp milkweed, a favorite of butterflies and bees, is seeding out. It is preparing for the seasons ahead.

Snowy Sunday

Office view

Great weather for a fire

We had a snow that went all day!  Being in a drought this is certainly a blessing for us, though a bit of a hassle for people who have to travel by air or car.  It is great however for people who might prefer to travel by ski!

A view of Bassett Creek on my walk to church

Milkweed pod encased by snow

Swamp Milkweed Pods

I thought that the swamp milkweed pods looked especially beautiful with the morning sun reflecting off of the ice on Bassett Creek Park's pond.

Shoreline surprises

Muskrat swimming under the ice

Milkweed seed

When taking pictures of the interesting ice formations last week I had a couple of shoreline surprises.  First I was startled by a muskrat that launched out under the ice just in front of me.  It must have been resting along the shore.

One of the things I find quite interesting is how some of the ice forms very geometric shapes, with straight lines, with there are a similar number of curvy forms that appear to be cloud-like.

After the muskrat surprise I discovered a beautifully dew covered milkweed seed.  It had the appearance of a ballet dancer pirouetting in a billowy white dress.

Swamp milkweed

Swamp milkweed elegantly stands on the pond's bank

Frosty fall morning

Sun topped trees

Reflection of the pedestrian bridge over Hwy. 100

Stylish leaf 

Branch reflections

Swamp milkweed with morning reflection

It was a cool start yesterday morning.  I'm always impressed with Jack Frost's artistry.  Mr. Frost was also assisted by a beautiful sunrise that topped the barren trees along the pond with an orange crown.

Frozen cabbage leaves from the garden

 

Fall colors

Maple leaves

Maple leaves

Maple leaves

Red twig dogwood

Red twig dogwood, tamarack, weeping willow

Cotoneaster 

I began with taking a picture of some beautiful fall leaves on the ground and decided to add some motion to the photos.  Some motion is up and down, while other shots I moved the camera in a circular direction.  What do you think?

Morning in the park

Swamp Milkweed

Park bench

Maple leaves and morning sun

Blue and White

Great Blue Heron and Great Egret

It was a treat to see a Great Egret and a Great Blue Heron side by side a the pond this morning.

A heron is blue,
an egret is white.
Together they fish,
both day and night.

What a beautiful sight!

Nearby the Swamp Milkweed was disbursing its seeds, while glistening in the morning sun.

Swamp Milkweed

Additional hoar frost photos

Swamp milkweed

These photos were taken at Bassett Creek Park in Crystal, Minnesota.  If you would like to see a larger view of a picture simply click on it with your mouse.

Cattail

Thoughts on death by Steve Jobs

Swamp Milkweed

     Big headline in today's newspaper about the death of Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computer.  As a highly successful inventor he had an interesting remark about life's final chapter.  He commented "Death is very likely the best invention of life.  All pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."
     Pictured left is a Swamp Milkweed along side of Bassett Creek pond.  It is looking quite lovely, and even elegant in its death.  As you can see its last act is the dispersion of seeds.
     While most flower blossoms have long fallen, a late blooming wildflower was still keeping company with the milkweed during its last act of the season.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold,
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Spontaneous photo opportunities

Common Cormorant

Eastern Kingbird with bug

Went to the park yesterday afternoon to take pictures of a cormorant that I had spotted moments earlier.  These diving birds don't often visit Bassett Creek's shallow pond.

Next I noticed a Eastern Kingbird perched overhead in a tree with a large insect (possibly a dragonfly) in its beak that it was attempting to eat before it escaped.

Dragonfly

After getting a quick shot of the kingbird I soon discovered a cool looking a dragonfly by water's edge.

A couple of American Osprey flew by on an unsuccessful fishing mission (already pictured in yesterday's post).

Monarch on Swamp Milkweed

Goldfinch

While watching for the Osprey I noticed Monarch Butterflies visiting the Swamp Milkweed by water's edge.

Then before I could put my camera away Goldfinches appeared.

Quite a photographic smorgasbord!