Spring Fling

_{a view from my hike, looking west towards my beloved mountains over a field of dry grass}

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Hai all!!

Spring is here! I am so happy :) Even though this winter was quite mild by comparison, we seemed to get all our snow in the last month, way past the time I'm right sick of winter cold.

Technically we can get snow up til mid April, even May and June is not unheard of in the mountain areas, however I'm really looking forward to warmer days where I can get out and explore!

I've been on a few nice walks this past week where its been above fifty degrees, and I see signs of greenery and change.

Yay!!!

_{a robin enjoying the warmth of the day. I think i invaded his turf}

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From geese flying north and robins foraging for worms, the birds at least support my belief that warmer weather will be upon us. The trees seem to agree, as buds emerge and I see grass shoot through the deadwood of last years refuse. So of course I've let my political rants fizzle and heaved them aside in favor of some weird and wonderful photos.

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_{lucky shot of a pair of red winged blackbirds in flight}

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Many of my photos might seem the same as 1001 other photos I've put forth, but I urge you not to be racist against dead flowers and trees! They don't all look the same!

As clouds are the emotions of the sky, tree bark is the fingerprint of each tree. No two images are quite the same, lending character to each individual.

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_{the poetic form of a graceful squiggle leafed teasel}

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Ima start by saying so long to some of the Colorado winter native weeds (that i call flowers) which are so prevalent in many of my older posts. Why do I photograph so many of them? Well, first of all they are everywhere!

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_{a field of cut leaf teasel}

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Dipsacus is a plant that is found all over the world. Commonly known as teasel in Colorado, they are as good as weeds. If unchecked they will invade fields and outgrow native plants. They are prickly and annoying as heck if you need to walk through them, catching your clothes and piercing skin when you try to remove them.

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_{goth punk teasel}

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Yet they also have a unique character that I never tire of. A field of teasel or punk-heads appears as busy as a city street, the multitude of weedy people's flower heads jostling for space as they reach for the sun.

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_{faeries in a tea cup ~ milkweed flower and seeds emerging from their coffinous pod}

Milkweed, or faerie flower as I like to call it, is another of my favorite plants to photograph because it is so diaphanous, yet sturdy. The woody pod is such a contrast to the tightly packed interior, which unfolds into unruly fluff and nothingness. Milkweed floss is used to stuff pillows and life vests, as it will float in water while supporting many times its weight.

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_{the tightly packed flower and seeds of a milkweed plant}

Milkweed extract is also used medicinally for skin ailments and to treat intestinal parasites. So not only is it beautiful and strong, but incredibly powerful as a curative. What an incredible plant!

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_{i love the soft curves of this tiny flower that gently eases the mood of the viewer}

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I'm not sure of the name for some of these flowers, but there was something, some tiny delicacy or vitality that captured my eye as I wondered the field. A good number of these shots are macro, so keep this in mind, as the tinier flowers you see may be no bigger than a pinhead in real life.

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_{unknown plant with tiny seeds embedded into the leaf. a google photo search tells me its a flying insect. go fish}

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Sometimes i will take a photo just to capture the minute details the naked eye can barely see.

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_{i call this one talk to the hand, for it's unique character..}

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Other times I simply like the character of the capture, which tells a little story in my mind

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_{some type of gorse? or other unknown tumbleweed-like plant component}

This is a close up of a pervasive thorny ground cover that grows in between the tall grass, then detaches into a vine like patch of dried weed, which then blows to other areas in order to disperse its seed.

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_{another favorite, common or bull thistle, which has a lovely purple flower when in bloom. look closely for the flower within the flower! its like a little sea anenome :)}

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Thistle has about 200 variations throughout the world. Common thistle is a weed, but milk thistle in particular is a subspecies cultivated for its medicinal properties, which assist liver and skin conditions.

_{not sure on this one either but i call it pin flower, as those tiny flowers are no bigger than a sprinkle}

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_{easter egg, got the speckled leaf center of the photo, with tiny flecks of grass peaking out.}

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This is the section for newly emerging. Not much here yet as our last snow was just a week ago, a cyclone-blizzard, Still, a few intrepid plants poked their heads out of the soil.

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_{struggling prickly pear cacti living at the foot of a tree. i was pulling minuscule thorns out of my fingers for hours...}

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Not many people understand that even though Colorado has a lot of mountains and lakes with vast fields, the western half also has desert mesas and semi-arid conditions which allow a variety of cacti to thrive among the trees and weeds. Southwestern Colorado in particular, along the New Mexico border, is home to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

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_{possibly opuntia fragilis, a flowering cacti that chose to make a home in the vee of the desiccated inner bark of a fallen tree}

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_{a lettuce like ground cover, which has popped up all over. something to be discovered..}

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_{even the mountain lakes are coming alive! the ice is melting and the algae is in bloom! the ducks will be happy..}

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_{this may be a kind of thistle or brush flower, or part of a flowering cacti. i love the way the ends of the petals kink in}

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_{close up. the buds on a flowering tree are starting to develop in preparation for spring!!}

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_{sun dappled grass and the open field}

I love the way sunlight glitters across grass seed swaying in the gentle breeze. This speaks of spring more than anything I can feel the warmth and ken the promise of summers growth with the changing season, the song of birds and a harvest to come before the next winter cycle begins. take your time guys. Let spring reign.

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I hope you enjoyed this half of my post. I had a bunch more tree and bark photos that will go into my next post, and by the time that is done perhaps ill have even more photos to edit... I's really like to get on a few road trips this summer, out to some of the fabulous Nationals Parks we have here or to some cool exhibit. I am soooo looking forward to spring!