Friday, April 15, 2016

Henry David Thoreau and Polecat Weed

Wednesday April 6th. A walk in the wetlands along the Pine Creek and we come upon a lively patch of young Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). 


I stop to sketch a spear and unfurled leaf. We move on and there before us is a poor soul, who, while springing up to meet the new year, was captured and bound by King Oak.



Again, I stop to sketch. This time I draw the prisoner of the Oak leaf. Margaret steps up and frees him! I remember what Thoreau wrote of the skunk cabbage "See those green cabbage buds lifting the dry leaves in that watery and muddy place. There is no can’t nor cant to them. They see over the brow of winter’s hill. They see another summer ahead."





More Nature Vignettes:



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