Red buckeye leaves opening
Aesculus pavia var. pavia is a small tree that’s commonly known as red buckeye. Here you see some of its foliage opening on February 22, 2012, in the greenbelt behind the Austin Nature Center. Isn’t that sheen something?
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I’m away from home. You’re welcome to leave comments, but please understand if I’m slow in responding.
© 2015 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Let’s partay! Seems like a budding celebration is about to happen.
Steve Gingold
February 19, 2015 at 5:23 AM
I guess that makes me a budding photographer.
Steve Schwartzman
February 19, 2015 at 2:13 PM
What a beautiful picture. The colours, textures and composition are lovely. It almost looks like a combination of two kinds of plant types from this angle.
Jane
February 19, 2015 at 7:11 AM
I’d forgotten about this picture until I prepared this month’s posts for my absence. I share your perception that this looks like two kinds of plants, especially because of the sheen on the lower portion.
Steve Schwartzman
February 19, 2015 at 2:33 PM
Look at all of the color, texture and detail!!! How does GOD doooooooo that?!–are the words in my head
Elisa
February 19, 2015 at 7:16 AM
I don’t know how it all happens, of course, but I try to portray it the best I can.
Steve Schwartzman
February 19, 2015 at 2:42 PM
What a beauty…
lensandpensbysally
February 19, 2015 at 7:37 AM
It is, Sally, it is.
Steve Schwartzman
February 20, 2015 at 3:07 AM
Steve, how do you put your copyright and name on your photos. Do you use Lightroom?
Rick Capozza
February 19, 2015 at 9:10 AM
Hi, Rick. I created a text layer in Photoshop for the copyright notice, then saved it as a separate document. Whenever I need the notice, I open it, copy it, paste it as a layer in a photograph, move it where I want it (often making it smaller as well), and then compress layers.
Steve Schwartzman
February 20, 2015 at 1:57 PM
At a quick glance it looks like a quiver of arrows. Beautiful light on those tips.
Heyjude
February 19, 2015 at 1:43 PM
What an imagination: a quiver of arrows. I’m all a-quiver at the thought, Jude.
Steve Schwartzman
February 20, 2015 at 3:09 AM
It feels so good to see these early signs of spring…The ones that tell you this time it is real.
Charlie@Seattle Trekker
February 19, 2015 at 5:44 PM
I’m afraid it’s too early in the season to say that with certainty, Charlie, as you’ll see a couple of posts from now.
Steve Schwartzman
February 20, 2015 at 3:11 AM
I haven’t thought about Lois, Houston’s corpse flower, for ages, but the ruffles on the outside edge of these opening leaves remind me of her. There’s a great gallery of photos here.
Waiting for her to bloom was quite an experience. They set up a 24/7 camera for a live-stream at the museum where she lived, and people all around Houston would sit and watch her grow. Insomniacs rejoiced. One couple chose to be married in her presence — when the museum was closed, of course.
Apart from all that, I love the bold colors. Spring isn’t always pastel.
shoreacres
February 19, 2015 at 8:39 PM
That’s a great and pithy sentence: “Insomniacs rejoiced.” I don’t remember hearing about the corpse flower in Houston, but someone sure was savvy about promotion.
No, spring isn’t always pastel, and we have some bright wildflowers to prove it. This opening leaf provided a different sort of brightness.
(I answered this on February 20 but mistakenly did so as a new comment rather than as a reply to yours. I’m moving it where it belongs now.)
Steve Schwartzman
March 12, 2015 at 10:48 AM
This a beautiful photo, Steve~ I love it!
melissabluefineart
March 12, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Me too. It’s one of those forgotten photos that I was happy to rediscover when I looked through my archives for pictures to show during my time away from home. The sheen on the lower element seems magical.
Steve Schwartzman
March 12, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Yes, it is. We’re having warm temperatures all this week but the snow is still hanging on. Soon my Hickory tree will bud out, and it also has a beautiful spring look.
melissabluefineart
March 12, 2015 at 10:54 AM
You suddenly reminded me of the lines
School days, school days,
Dear old Golden Rule days:
Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hick’ry stick.
I’m not familiar with hickory trees, but maybe you’ll paint yours this spring and show it in your blog.
Steve Schwartzman
March 12, 2015 at 11:11 AM
I’ll draw the bud for sure 🙂
melissabluefineart
March 13, 2015 at 8:27 AM