Welcome to my World

Welcome to the domain different--to paraphrase from New Mexico's capital city of Santa Fe which bills itself "The City Different." Perhaps this space is not completely unique but my world shapes what I write as well as many other facets of my life. The four Ds figure prominently but there are many other things as well. Here you will learn what makes me tick, what thrills and inspires me, experiences that impact my life and many other antidotes, vignettes and journal notes that set the paradigm for Dierdre O'Dare and her alter ego Gwynn Morgan and the fiction and poetry they write. I sell nothing here--just share with friends and others who may wander in. There will be pictures, poems, observations, rants on occasion and sometimes even jokes. Welcome to our world!

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The color of spring

New Mesquite Leaves
For me, the one color that most means spring is the delicate green of new mesquite leaves. If I was to define "spring green" in a box of crayons or colored pencils that is exactly what the color would be. It seems so alive and vivid yet fragile and just stronger than pastel. Normally I am not a 'green' person but that hue is just special.

Creosote
Yes, spring is here. In the past week, all at once the mesquites have gone from knobby bare branches to small fronds of green that quickly unfurl into real leaves. The catkin-like blooms will follow soon. I walked on the ditch bank today--along a drainage arroyo not far from home--and in about a week since the last time the red dogs and I took that route, this sea change has occurred. Flowers of many kinds are out now whereas a week ago or less the only color was the creosote bushes whose acid green hue remains all winter long.

Spring flowers are mostly white with some lilac and lavender or other purplish hues. Oh, there are some yellow ones. but to me yellow is the fall color with the 'sneeze weed' sunflower type blooms, the cottonwood leaves and other foliage all in shades of gold. Now it is white--African Rue, some of the mustards, milkweed or Queen Anne's Lace (the tiny delicate mini-flowers in clusters, and then purple in the sand verbena, filaree and several other weeds. The mustard family has some yellow but also white and there are a number of varieties blooming now. They have colorful common names such as London Rocket, Shepherd's Purse (below) and such. Most are descriptive of the plant or its seed form.

Shepherd's Purse
London Rocket and Sand Verbena
Desert and high desert flora has always been fascinating to me since I grew up in central Arizona which is very similar to the local environment here in the Tularosa Basin. Many of the same plants prevail. And most of them I know. My parents enjoyed an association with renowned botanist Leslie N Goodding when I was very small and learned much from him. Over the years it filtered down to me. I enjoy knowing names of things since that makes them friends or at least acquaintances and not alien strangers! So I have learned minerals and rocks, stars, and of course the flora and fauna of my home areas. Now as spring bursts free, I look for old friends and greet them. Some are in the sky on clear nights and others surround me on those morning walks or drives into the hills.

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