“Pussy Willow Close Up”
“I KNOW A LITTLE PUSSY”
I know a little pussy
Her coat is silver gray
She lives down in the meadow
Not very far away.
Though she is a pussy
She’ll never be a cat.
She is a pussy willow.
Now what do you think of that”
– Author Unknown
Finally, a taste of spring, though still store bought, it focuses my attention on something other than snow and ice, which I have had about enough of.
The included poem is a traditional school poem that my late father-in-law, Maurice used to quote, frequently. He’s embellish it with the closing line of meow, meow, meow, SCAT! It’s a fond memory of him, especially for my kids.
This is another one of those photos that really makes me question just how observant I am. I had no idea that the bases of the cat-toes were yellow. That would make sense, since this is the willow “flower” and thus, should enable pollination. The world of macro photography has a firm grip on me, as I explore the world around me with new vision.
How such a simple thing can be so beautiful brings a smile to my face and has me asking new questions about how the natural systems around me actually work. For example, now that I have noticed the pollen, I wonder how they are pollinated. Is it the wind, birds, bees, or other insects. It bears further investigation.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.8sec, f/360, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
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Ed Lehming Photography 
Beautiful image. I love pussy-willows!
Thank you Joanne
Beautiful picture! 🙂
Thank you
It’s absolutely beautiful. The question of pollination is interesting. Since I have a plum tree, and last year I had problem getting bees to pollinate, I manually did some pollination with my fine paint brush. This year, I’m so happy to see a whole bunch of bees pollinating the blossoms. Now the flowers are falling off and I can see all the little plums growing. It’s exciting for me. I imagine the answer to your question maybe ‘all of the above.’
fond memories donning hip boots & cutting those for Grams & Mom this time of year 50 springs ago 🙂
The pussy willow bush in my neighbor’s yard is blossoming, and now has a dusting of April New England snow. Looking forward to seeing more green grasses surrounding it soon. Your picture is gorgeous, and very vivid. Enjoyed your poetic reflection.
Thank you 😊