Jan Tree Buds 0008

Dormant but Not Forgotten

Todays's headline is from the NY Times Home and Garden section. The article describes different examples of winter time activity in the plant kingdom. In Vermont the past 3 days have seen nighttime lows in the -10 range (plus or minus) and daytime temperatures of single digits. But the days are getting longer and I always marvel each year at the small little signs indicating Spring is coming. One of the first signs is that tree buds began to show color and slowly elongate. The bud in this image is from a Shadbush, so named because in the Northeast it flowers about the time the Shad fish begin to return to the rivers and streams. The tiny white flowers are also for us in Vermont some of the earliest flowers we see each year. Nikkor 85mm macro, f10, 1/80 sec, ISO 400, handheld.