Winter flowers

I took a long walk in Prospect Park; the Frenchman was feeling poorly and my legs needed stretching. They are long legs. They stretched. And I found snowdrops! Right on cue, actually (see this 2013 post).

And witch hazel - only the Asian witch hazels bloom in pre-spring. The American species belong to late autumn.

And I saw a juvenile red tail hawk. We looked at each other for a long time. I only had my phone with me, but a telephoto lens would have been better: as I watched him I noticed little woodpeckers and songbirds in the leafless trees. What will the end of winter bring? An early spring? More snow?

And I caught the unruly tangles of winter honeysuckle in bud. They are going to burst, soon. In time for next Sunday's first forage walk of the year? May. Be. Last year I made a beautiful vinegar with the scented flowers - but that was in April! I am plotting the walk's picnic menu. Hot soup, for sure. Red wine and mushroom? Or tomato and spicebush? And ramp leaves via a frozen batch of ramp leaf oil from a previous spring. Maybe in a dandelion pie? And a sweet thing. Because everyone loves a sweet thing. Spicebush olive oil loaves? Or a chocolate roulade stuffed with preserved sour cherries and cream? Or, or.... powdered puffball and chocolate brownies?!

First world dilemmas...

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