Evergreen Earrings, Autumn Leaves

This afternoon I took my students on a leaf collecting walk. We collected samples from each of the 27 trees that members of our class are adopting this year, talking about the unique textures, shapes, and colors of each leaf. They jotted down notes to help identify the leaves later:

• trident-like veins, Max wrote about the Flowering Dogwood
• an angel's dress, Meara noted about the Tulip Poplar

• soft and fuzzy underneath, like shiny plastic on top: Sam's Southern Magnolia

Walking in the perfect fall weather left us with little time to begin to press our leaves. Tomorrow.

I thought when I left home this morning that I'd be teaching a lesson about the Kwakiutl culture of the Pacific Northwest who build massive homes using planks they cut from giant cypress trees, so I wore these conifer trees. I made this pair last spring, in anticipation of fall.

But the schedule changed, the sun was shining, and the autumn leaves were calling. Wednesday's rain may empty many of our trees. With deciduous trees you have to seize the day. Evergreens can wait.