Sunday, March 6, 2011

pussy willow pink

I've got to send a card to an old friend in Tono and hope she will enjoy the latest in the pussy willow series. Years ago I took a train along the Sanriku Coast to visit an amber museum in the northeastern corner of Iwate prefecture. The tracks were lined at points with wild pussy willow trees and we chugged slowly along with a great view of masses of silky catkins on display. Chinese like to use pussy willows at the Lunar New Year and many Christians use them on Palm Sunday in place of palms. I've got three trees here, all started by Mrpotani, who has a tree in her garden in San Francisco. One tree here has shot up straight and tall to roof level; one is a spreading bush; the third has never made it past two feet, thanks to the deer who bedevil it yearly.