collecting...

My friend, Devavati and I braved the fridgid winds yesterday to go out collecting things for winter decorating...this is her west coast painted van...

A short walk from my house, about 10 years ago, there used to be a 30 acre patch of forest, until the lumber company came in and mowed it all down. Then the tree planters came in and replanted the area and all was quiet on that front...it finally started to green up and the little trees were now 6 or 7 feet tall and the birds and animals were happy here..then the developers came in and mowed down about 2/3rds of the young trees to make way for acreage plots to sell to future homeowners...its all very ridiculous and all for the sake of money but at least they've left some trees standing...among them are some lovely pines with big sappy pinecones...

We went and delicately took some gifts from the trees...

....and brought home the scent of the woods...

There have been some amazing patterns in the ice...

Looks kind of 'bird' like...

We brought home some teasel seed heads that have been slowly naturallizing here and are now scattered everywhere...

 

...there's me and Griffin with our bunch!

So as the trucks roll on past me with loads of gravel, preparing to pave the road in here, I see that  another pretty little spot of green will slowly disappear...I cherish these walks and hope those who build houses here will appreciate the trees around them and hope that they can look up into the hills behind them and still see the forest...

...but for now I look into this pretty winter sky and enjoy the time here...