Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Queen Annes Lace


Another beautiful day. Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere. After I took this picture I looked at its description in my wildflower book. It is considered to be very common, and on one level I guess it is. For once, however, its name seems to describe its appearance, its beauty. Some of the unfortunate names of other equally beautiful wildflowers come to mind; Bastard Toadflax, Cow Vetch.
Yes on one level it is common, but it doesn't take an expert to appreciate its delicate loveliness. They bear a real similarity to the snowflakes of January. I remember some of the photos of snowflakes by Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley. A couple of those photos appeared in the January 14 posting on this blog. Some words from Mr. Bentley were also included.
"Under the microscope I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty...Every crystal was a masterpiece of design, and no design was ever repeated."
Ordinary and beautiful, miraculous and common, snowflakes and Queen Anne's Lace. The workings of the natural world are mysterious indeed.

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