Monday, May 18, 2009

Henry David Thoreau's JournaL: May 18, 1857

Yellow Birch
Photo: Lorianne DiSabato

"There is a very grand and picturesque old yellow birch in the old cellar northwest the yellow birch swamp. Though this stands out in open land, it does not shed its pollen yet, and its catkins are not much more than half elongated, but it is very beautiful as it is, with its dark-yellowish tassels variegated with brown. Yet in the swamp westerly the yellow birches are in full bloom, and many catkins strew the ground. They are four or five inches long when in bloom. They begin to shed their pollen at the base of the catkins, as, I think, other birches do."
What have you noticed in the natural world today? Take a look.

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