I have been reading a book of journal-like entries. An Indiana farm wife, back in the 60s, with a bent for writing. She published her diary with the entries arranged by season and as my Iowa March waned into April, I was reading her Indiana March and April spring entries.She was naming wildflowers . . . She named names. Haha
Trillium, Salt and Pepper, Mayflowers, Dutchman's Britches . . . and it all put me in mind of my early spring discoveries in the timber at III.
Himself and I found a whole river bottom of Bluebells several times.
I have never seen anything like it in all my years.
Extraordinary.
We found the Fairy Flowers.
We only had one super-duper Fairy Flower year but it was a
spectacular display of Fairy Flowers
amd worth the wait. It is something I will always remember.
We had young lady redbuds dressing in their spring finery
wafting through the timber.
We had leaves frozen into the ice on the pond.
We had moss and fungus and puffball mushrooms
and things I had never heard of before.
Don't be eating any of those mushrooms!
I can only identify the Puffballs 'rooms and
there is not a single solitary morel in the bunch.
Don't eat these at home.
We had all manner of insects . . .
bees and ants and beetles and walking sticks.
Looking back through all the photos of these beauties of nature and top those off with memories of my children and grandchildren at III and all the adventure, and misadventures and you won't have to wonder why the memories of III still tugs my Heart Strings.
2 comments:
Talk about a "bent for writing," Nancy! That Indiana farm wife has nothing on you. Your post tugged at my heart strings. I, too, am a "timber lover," and use the morel quest as an excuse just to be there. There is no better place to rejuv the soul!
On Mother's Day my family would take me on an outing to find the illusive morels, and we would treck up and down the "hollars" in search of them. By then it was really too late in the season to find many. My dad was a pro at it and said that you searched when the lilacs were ready to bloom. One spring he delivered enough of them to fill my double sink in the utility room. He would never give his secret spot away, but said it was near E-Wa-Ta--the "nudist camp" over by Bridgewater. But we always came home from the family trip with boquets of Sweet William and Jack-In-The_Pulpits. I have even successfully transplanted some of both.
My favorite time in the timber is in December to pick my annual boquet of Buck Brush which stays on the mantel for a whole year. I take the Ranger and my dog and it is even better if there are some snow flakes falling. There is no place more pieceful than the timber when it is snowing. Then there is the July trip to search for wild raspeberries. Blessed are those who can appreciate the experience!
Kathy, I loved the timber year round. I think I know Buck Brush; is it red twigged? I never cut any to take in but always admired it. Those morels -- I and Johanna found 3 one year. That is our total find! 3! This Indiana writer said to look when the May Apple is in bloom. I have transplanted May Apples and they are now on my watch list. Thanks for stopping by . . .
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