• Wednesday-What'sUP February 11 - 04:54 pm

If you live here in the U.P., you know we've been getting a good share of snow falling this winter. But there are still some signs that it won't last forever. Reminders from last summer and fall when plants and trees were growing, instead of dried and frozen, like these photos from Susan Hooker and Greta Jones. Pictorial reminders that help give us the hope that spring once again, is just around the corner.

Susan captured the snow built up around the base of this group of dried weeds, as they still stand up tall and straight like they're sprouting right out of the snow surrounding them. That's a sign leftover from the summer growing season, that they'll be coming back again in just a few short months.

Then Greta contributed two shots of some bright, red berries that grew last summer and have been hanging on throughout the wind and blowing snow this winter. Don't you just love the way the snow gathers on top the berry clusters? Not only do these berries add color to the gray days of winter, but they also provide food for the birds. I can't identify the tree or the type of berries, so I'm counting on someone in our Pasty Cam visitors to help me out.

crabapples?

They look like Mountain Ash berries to me.

I'd say Mountain Ash too...and I'm surprised they are there!!! The tree must be hiding...otherwise the birds would have stripped the berries by now! The MA berries in my yard didn't even see snow!

Hi
It's hard to tell under the snow. I know, though, there are some berries that birds do not like. On a one hike I was on, the naturalist pointed out there's a difference between "edible" and "palatable".

Very artistic!

Those are definitely mountain ash berries. Birds tend to avoid them because they're very bitter. However, they get better after they're repeatedly frozen. I actually just finished making a batch of crabapple-ash jelly. It has a ... unique ... flavor. It's very good as a glaze on ham, not so good on toast. (I put a little bit of info here).

You can pick the berries right off the tree and eat them -- I recommend trying it at least once.

We hardly have any snow left down here in Iron Mountain!

We have LOTS of snow in Calumet. Come on up and I'll give you some free from my yard.

Music teacher, if they pick you clean they can have mine. Heck take my yard first! The berries are some nice color everything is looking a little dingy with this thaw.

The top photo looks like Achillea or yarrow, which self-sows prolifically and stands up to winter weather admirably. A nice reminder that beneath the white blanket my garden lies sleeping.

I think the top photo is actually tansy - yarrow has much finer leaf structure than that - more of a wispy than a ferny type of thing. Unfortunately considered an invasive weed species in many places now (MN included) - it tends to take over. Tansy has a yellow half-spherical flower, and yarrow's is generally white and (like its leaves) finer textured.

It is still a nice reminder that at some point things will turn green again. I can see grass out my office window now, but it's not very pretty. I'd like the snow back, please!

Amazing what great photographers the Keweenaw has. Again, great pics!

All of our snow is gone. It is raining here now. We are suppose to get some snow this weekend.