14 March, 2012

There’s a slight breeze on this sunny spring day.

I was here a year ago, this week.

The city had conducted a controlled burn of the cattails. It was a black, charred mess, and there was a lingering smoky smell.

They haven’t done a burn this year.

Today, many of the golden stalks are matted down from being dried and broken, weighed down with snow for the past few months.

I hear a lot of birds in the trees; I don’t see much activity.

The water level is low. I see several mated pairs of mallards on the water.

            the shining green of the mallard’s head in the sunshine

            just days before spring

            one fall leaf still on the tree —

            a couple of crows

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado

10 August, 2011

dragonflies and wind

in the seven-foot cattails —

ripples from raindrops

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado

30 June, 2011

cars on Baseline Road —

the cattails are four feet high

at the end of June

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado

21 June, 2011

a blue dragonfly

sparkles in the green cattails —

first day of summer

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado

15 June, 2011

a white moth flutters —

the yellow-headed blackbird

perched on the cattail

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado

17 March, 2011

on St. Patrick’s Day —

broken and burnt cattail stalks,

birds in the distance

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, Lafayette, Colorado