A frosty morning after a clear night. Even the daffodil leaves are dusted with frost, giving their green leaves a muted hue.

Where do branches come from? Split a tree apart and it’s clear they come from the core. So when you look up at a tree and gaze at its branches, you can picture them penetrating to the core of the tree. That’s where branches come from.

Where branches come from isn’t on the minds of these hens. They’re busy looking for good things to eat in the warming spring earth. I saw a garden snake slithering through the brush today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a garden snake in February before.