Marsh Marigolds: Golden Mounds of Pure Delight

The sun was as high and bright as these clusters of yellow marsh marigolds.  If I could have taken my photos a few hours later, I would have been able to capture a little more depth in the blossoms (above). But...finding delight in everyday life means enjoying what this world has to offer when you can.  

I was driving from Leelanau county over to Gaylord, Michigan that afternoon, so I only had a short time to galavant with my mom taking pictures before I had to pack up and leave.  She had noticed marsh marigolds blooming in a ditch near Cedar, so we could only assume that our favorite spot was in bloom.

Tah-dah! The marsh marigolds were at their peak! Look at the gorgeous mounds of leaves and blooms hovering over the clear cold stream.  We leaned on the highway guard rail (in a very quiet stretch of highway) and took photos from every angle we could think of.  The sun was so bright, we had a hard time seeing the camera screen against the glare. At any point I was hoping for the best framing and I am so happy with the results.

I chose this photo to show you just how many marsh marigolds there were, and to highlight how they meander far into the woods.  I said, "Cue the moose!" to my mom, as if this were a movie set and I could command mother nature to send in some Extras.  

Do me a favor and picture a moose stepping out of the woods into the sunshine.

Marsh Marigolds in the Leelanau Peninsula

If anything makes me live in the moment, it's Mother Nature.  When something starts to bloom, I have to act quickly or I'll miss my chance to delight you.  On this particular day, I was up north for Memorial Weekend with my husband.  We were on an afternoon drive, heading towards Northport, when it suddenly occurred to me that the marsh marigolds might be blooming.  I am only up north a handful of days in May and early June and I often miss this bright yellow beauties.  Looking for marsh marigolds is normally an expedition I take with my mom but since she wasn't up north that weekend, I had forgotten about them.  I said to Dan, "Good grief! What if they're blooming!"

My mom normally drives us to "the spot" that we've been photographing for years.  Dan had our Garmin (navigation system) turned on, so I told him to look for a river running close to the road.  Voila!  He saw water denoted on the map, pulled over and there they were.  Marsh marigold mania.  I told Dan that all I needed was a moose to walk out of the woods and I've have my shot.  Ha! No moose, but I think it is lovely just the same.

Thankfully it was a bright sunny day. It is gorgeous this time of year, get your camera and go outside.

Seizing Delight: Marsh Marigolds

A big part of "finding delight in every day life" is recognizing that timing is everything.  So much of the wonder and delight of life is seasonal, so you have to be ready to seize the day and enjoy the moment when it arrives.  

For example, marsh marigolds wait for no man.  They are one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the Spring and when we notice clusters of yellow in the marshy areas near the cottage, my mom and I make tracks.  I am usually only able to go "up north" a few times in the Spring and if I am lucky enough to be there when the marsh marigolds bloom, I'm not going to miss it!  The plants may bloom for a few weeks, but there is only a short window when I am in town to capture it.

We always drive to this shallow stream (between Leland and Northport, Michigan) where my mom first started photographing marsh marigolds in the 1980's.  The plants thrive in this marshy area and the clear shallow stream is the perfect visual foil to the healthy bushy plants.  

I took this photo on May 23, 2009 and it was the last time I was up north for the bloom.  Look at the glorious clusters winding their way up the riverbed.  I am so glad that my mom and I had to the chance to spend a delightful afternoon taking pictures.  

In terms of Spring occasions, it wasn't as romantic as a wedding, or momentous as graduation, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Whenever you flip the calendar page to a new month, write the seasonal items you are looking forward to ("tulips" or "English peas") to remind yourself to get out and enjoy them when they are at their peak.  

Marsh Marigolds

We hit the jackpot! My Mom and I went driving around "up north" looking for marsh marigolds in bloom and look what we found!

Thirty years ago, my Mom took some gorgeous marsh marigold photos (great composition of flowers, water, log) in this area, so our mission was to find the same stream and try again.

We had so much fun leaning "way out" off of a low bridge to frame this photo just right.

These marsh marigolds were crowding the banks of the river and left a golden trail way up into the woods behind. Gorgeous!

Marsh Marigolds

Isn't it nice when you have unexpected conversations with someone? 

I was out and about on a sunny Saturday, driving between small towns taking pictures and stopping in little stores I love along the way. 

A shop girl asked what I was "up to" that day and I answered that the marsh marigolds were out and that I had been photographing them.

She said that she had noticed them too and that they were in their full glory (lining streams and marshy areas) along one particular stretch of road. 

I pulled out my camera, showed her the shots I had taken and we agreed that the bright yellow flowers really made it feel like Spring. Have you ever seen marsh marigolds? I love how the sun is shining down on them through the trees. Nature's spotlight.