Frosted White Oak Leaves

White Oak Leaves, March 18, 2005
For me, this photograph captures the beginning of spring. The nights are cool enough to leave frost on the ground, but it doesn't last long after sunrise. Nearby, young sprouts are emerging through the still-frozen soil. Early plants include skunk cabbage (which would likely start blooming in February) and hepatica (which blooms in March). I will include some early photographs of these plants soon.
I like the smooth curved lobes of the white oak leaf. It's one of my favorite trees. Due to tannins in the oak leaves, which serve as a preservative, the pervious-season's oak leaves remain leathery and intact as spring arrives. This is not the case with other fallen leaves, such as maples, which decompose relatively quickly and appear tissue-paper thin in the spring.