You’ve probably noticed that my favorite photo subjects are insects and flowers.  You’ve probably also noticed that insects and flowers are pretty uncommon during Nebraska winters.  By about this time each year, I start feeling a little desperate for photo subjects.  Last weekend, I went for a long walk in a prairie north of town, trying to find something, ANYTHING, with some color other than brown.  The best I could come up with were some small rosettes of common evening primrose (Oenothera villosa) scattered along south-facing prairie hills.  I spent way more time than necessary photographing these little red leaves, but I did feel a little better afterward.

Rosette of common evening primrose (Oenothera villosa).

There were quite a few different rosettes to choose from, and each had its own unique beauty.

…ok, that’s not true – they all pretty much looked the same.  But there were a few minor differences, and did I mention I was feeling desperate?

See how different the rosette below looks from the first one?  It’s COMPLETELY different.  A little.

Look, these leaves have a little green in them!  Isn’t that exciting?

No, this is a different plant and different leaves from the earlier one.

Spring is coming soon, right?

(I have about a hundred more photos of these…)