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Winter Harshing Your Plant-Based Mellow

Winter is hard. On just about everything. And if you happen to be a plant, it appears to be even MORE difficult. Let's face it-- whether you were pooped out by a bird, borne by the wind, or just gravitational-ly dropped to the ground--wherever your seedling self 'chose' to land, way back when last spring, is pretty much where you shall be. Probably for the duration.

And just sitting there, being a plant, through that nasty-harsh winter, is a hard row to hoe. Those long-suffering mail carrier's got nothing on you, sad little desiccated plant of Nature. Rain, sleet, snow, the dark of night, wind, ice, bone chilling temperatures, more wind, more rain. Let's face it, if it's been invented by the weather wonks, you WILL have to endure it. At least until you dry up and blow away into infinity dust.

This whole 'quick' photo project started out well, on Saturday: "Ooh, a Sepia Saturday event". Then, for various reasons, continued on into Sublime Sunday. (Yes, I realize being a dried up, frozen shadow of your once-grand plant self, is not exactly sublime. But these Steemit events ARE called Challenges). And since I didn't get this post out on time for Sunday...("MY" team was playing basketball that day)...here it is, all dressed up in its Sepia best, for Monochrome Monday. So, onward and into the day, while there's still time, and the day is still HERE. (This post just would not 'do', if I drag it out longer into Tree Tuesday.)
Monochrome Monday it is, then.

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Winter Bones In Sepia

All these small plants were discovered in my yard. Sitting or hanging around, just trying to hang ON, until spring. At least as skeletons of their former, glorious selves. I hope they make it. Definitely a harsh life, being an outdoor plant in these wet, cold Northern climes.

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These remind me of little spiders. But no worries. Just an old Queen Anne's Lace of some sort. I'm sure this image conjures forth a bit of ArachnoWeedophobia to some out there. My apologies up front for providing any lookalike, plant-based willies.

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Remnants of a Japanese Persimmon. Only the part where it attaches (the sepals) are still left on the twig. A small remnant of a once glorious (and a bit tart), fleshy fruit.

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Some sort of grass seed head. Bent over in the relentless wind. Or just very very tired. (Grass ID can be quite difficult, having many parts with proper, complicated names. I would try to impress you here, but shall spare you.(Mainly because I don't have a CLUE what they are...).

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If The Berry Bush Could Speak

A leftover Blackberry. Or POTENTIAL Blackberry. Pretty sure all the 'hairs' are the filaments of the male stamens, and the little 'footballs' on the ends at the bottom, are the anthers. The parts that hold the male pollen. Think this fruit may have gotten frozen out, before any fertilization could take place. Dry testimony of a potentially grand fruit, now gone the downhill way of Nature. Life begets life begets life. And on we go.

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Not sure WHAT happened to this berry fruit. Only the filaments remain in a large bunch. Maybe frozen out as well, and the berry never got fertilized. A simple testament to what COULD have been one of MANY sumptuous berry-fruits, sprinkled onto my Saturday AM, cereal bowl mix of Television Cartoon Glory.

Shameless Past-Post Self Promotion -- [The Past Is Never Really Gone: Fine Art Of The Mix]

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This berry was fertilized, and developed into a fine, fat fruit. But for some reason was not picked and eaten. Not even by the birds. Now just biding its time, hanging out on the bramble vine for as long as possible. "Just BE little fruit, just BE".

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Another "some sort of weed " with an empty seed head. This one happily grew during the summer months into a nifty, curved bow. Now dried out and stuck that way for the rest of its days. I'm sure our plant still enjoys this curvy look. Very stylish indeed.

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Grape leaves in winter repose. Look a bit like old stacked leather, or flatfish.

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Grape leaves, in winter repose, slowly becoming one with Nature.

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Two Rose Hips. They're tough little fruits, still hanging on, going strong in the winter of their life. Remind me a bit of my dear Grandmother, bless her heart.

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A very persistent Golden Delicious apple. Holding on and holding out for SOMEONE to come along and pluck from the stem, and build a nice apple pie. I don't have the heart to tell this lumpy fruit: "you might be a bit beyond your expiration date". We'll just leave it as it hangs. The birds like to peck at it now and then anyway. Life begets life begets life. It really IS a fascinating show, this whole cycle of Nature thing.

Have a nice Monday. And stay warm and supple.

~ Finto ~

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Thanks for stopping in and viewing the latest Sepia Saturday-Sublime Sunday-Monochrome Monday view of plants in my back yard. If you have any thoughts about wintry plants, the slow and steady cycle of nature, Sepia photography, not getting projects done when you hope to, or anything else this post reminds you of, please feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd love to hear from you.

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Please UPVOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW if you enjoy my works.

And go to @ddschteinn -- There's a whole lot more...

_{Posted: 02/11/2019 @ 16:12}

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Excerpts From Late-Night Conversations With A Mechanical Cat

Fact Number 119

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_{[Tag Helper: thecycleoflifeisnevercomple te]}