Wild Bergamot in Winter

My husband and I were out hiking in the Barrens on the closed road by the shooting range. Everything looks so brown and barren (ha ha, see what I did there?) now. There are few leaves left on the trees, and it is muddy everywhere. The overall mode is gray; sometimes it is days before we even catch a glimpse of sunshine.

That tiny dusting of snow we got the other day is gone, long gone. But they're talking about the potential for a real humdinger of a snowstorm this coming weekend, so stay tuned!

I spotted some neat plants which I thought might be the remains of monarda, or bee balm, or bergamot. They almost looked like little brains to me. Or some sort of abstract art installation, perhaps; each one, no bigger than your thumb.

I came home and looked it up and this plant is indeed (according to the online plant ID program) Monarda fistulosa, which is to say wild monarda, bee balm, or bergamot. I think bergamot is a funner word, so let's call it that!

One of my delights in life is discovering tiny amazing things in the most ordinary and everyday places. I think this one counts, and I can hear Chrissie Hynde singing "I'm special, so special." So here is our soundtrack song: the Pretenders, with Brass in Pocket.