Now that the snow and the ice is tarting to melt, there's a lot of mess left but not everywhere. There are areas that are protected of the mud, like the alley, that is covered by these small stones, that look huge on the photo as I have used the macro function, but in fact are as big as beans. I've always loved these as when they are new, every single piece is white and looks great. 

![20220208_110902a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EouAEqgQwmTu7WHqigH4iABRcRyBfaaMxcHUmckwC9Hu2HrLdpAqGh6BdYVSehJLWV5.jpg)

After one season obviously dirt and moss is taking over the white color, but for me these still look interesting.  

![20220208_110856a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/Ep7va5jkB1EkJk5gpaBtWCfVWqSD1abNSPByJ7dMrptX7KsXQGC88B3CFFLzjDSuLBP.jpg)

After I came home and had a better look at the photos on my laptop I saw that there's still some ice on the stones. I suppose in a month or two, when there's no more danger of snow, there will be new stones brought to fill the gaps and refresh the old one. That's when I'm planning to do a photo shoot, only stones. The new ones are so cute, all white, no dirt on them. 

![20220208_112744a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23xVMEFD1hvqcc1j3ZTtT9NWGBXY8ZkhafBb16ieF74JGtNwvA1C5UG3NmBDFne7gcmCc.jpg)

Looks like lichen is flourishing on the fruit trees. This is the wild apple tree that has a wonderful pink blossom in May or so. The fruits come much more later, are small compared to a normal apple, a little bigger than cherries and last a lot. 

![20220208_112755a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EoiWF2QEXXuzxFrzyv58KnYWc3pJRbpa6LLCjYh2NsRBwnJKbZJCmtB9pK6xu7EyzFv.jpg)

It's still fascinating for me how this lichen lives and thrives in these circumstances. 

![20220208_112702a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EpGQdDDkE5jkrLSp9YBGMiJPhbBHjj1ikkt8fTHLMsRVx8bFmWDjHHMqYJib3tvADVL.jpg)

I wanted to do some photos from more closer, but the wind was blowing so hard, I could hardly take these. 

![20220208_110408a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23uQvwazH33sQj5H5a9rqCSJ2MUm39TBPwT1dAVzBuiid3zmDtWPUjba1tfnNVFZHwN6s.jpg)

Rose hip is still resisting the cold. 

![20220208_104948a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23y8x2Za4oZMtNrQV2eeZcxJKHL9LUhCtMpW7hcw1mwyikAbdenYxMZSVEz1ua2DzmCcC.jpg)

Another mysterious one for me is this. I've know this all my life, yet have never bothered to look it up to see what it is. Up until this day I thought these are seeds, just to find out it's the fruit of the [Acer negundo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo), which is also called the box elder or boxelder maple. 


![20220115_114416a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EoGxthhRVD8q7Doq4T5m6LeeCyuwAZL1pVT4dN9Dk52yFNwBqQC7Z7aiZKM2rBMNQo4.jpg)

I took this photo on the 15th of January this year. This is the [primula flower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula), which seems to be the first flower of the year, the flower before snowdrops and violets.

![20220118_084454a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23yTdMkChNoYHScPEZHLeHnihLihX2eydSZ9nZm9ybcYkKKa2rnJFSiPWf2KiWYNbXVzk.jpg)
 
I took this flower 3 days later, on the 18th. When I saw this poor creature covered by snow, my heart almost started aching, as no creature small or big deserves such a treatment but there was nothing I could do. This is how things work in winter and I suppose they are used to it. 

![20220211_110430(0)a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EpA31o7DxzKtPTk2YdpCwSvK6BYyJ2jX4Bwf4EeW9M6NGDeLujJhBQDJUbxm88VgfgC.jpg)

This is bulrush, but I'm not sure this is the correct word for it. I was surprised to see this in the city as it usually grows at the sides of the river, where the water is not so deep and it's muddy. I'm not sure what the situation at this place as I've never been there before, the place looked awful, kind of abandoned and scary. But this dry thing slightly covered by snow looked nice.

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