Indiana Roadsides

by
Jean Hughes
May 8, 1995

I hear the Mayflower winds. The song of a wood thrush floats through the morning sunshine. The sky and the phlox are in competition for the prize of "Best of Blue." Dogwoods and redbuds bloom. My road is a pathway of fragrance that wafts from apple and plum blossoms.

The earth is heavy with green buds. Delicate rue-anemone bloom in the woods. Dandelion-seed parachutes fill the air. Young maple spinners quiver in the soft breeze. Buzzards lie on the wind and loll along with no necessity to flap to keep aloft. May is good for what ails you.

* * * There is a little white flower that blooms in May. It has one of the sweetest scents on earth. It is the lily-of-the-valley. There is a wild variety of this flower, and I went to see if I could find it blooming in my hills.

On A Windy Day In May

     I looked, today, through little dells
     For lily-of-the-valley bells,
     Along a rocky, bubbling stream
     Where minnows dart and blue jays scream,
     And shiny, marigold-yellow bogs
     Wait for the evening songs of frogs.
     Where bloodroot and isopyrum, white,
     Look to the waning moon at night,
     And fields are strewn with ragwort-gold,
     And north winds blow the May flowers cold.
     No lily-bells rang through the air.
     Maybe it is too wild in there --
     Where dogtooth violets raise their pups,
     And blue phlox fence with buttercups.

This has been a happy month for those of us who enjoy walking in the rain. Raindrops rouse a pungent aroma that I never detect when it is dry.

I walk in a field covered with the bright-yellow blossoms of mustard. The field's edges are dotted with wild geranium blooms. The lavender flowers look delicate and fragile, but wildflowers are tough.

A pair of meadowlarks flushes from the field. Towhees call along the woods' edge. A white-throated sparrow sings its high-pitched song. It sounds like syrup dripping from the tip of a pin.

I enter the woods and find a leftover dewdrop cradled in a bloodroot bloom. Buttercup leaves are decorated along their edges with tiny dew droplets.

Deep in the woods, ferns unfurl. I walk into a gardenful of golden poppies, edged with yellow violets. Whole hillsides are frothy with spring beauties.

I linger where the creek runs swiftly, and water hums to the flowers that hang over its banks. A three-inch fish battles its way upstream. As I often do, it fights to go its own way, and does not think to turn around and let life carry it along.

From a hillside, I spot a path of gold in light and shadow. Joy zings through me. I run down the hill. The hilly bog is covered with bloom. The marsh marigolds are opening their blossoms!

I sit for a long time on a log and revel in the golden beauty. Then, I trail along the creek to places that live alone all year. A hundred little waterfalls yodel softly. Dainty blossoms sway to the music.

It never ceases to amaze me that, with no effort on my part, millions of wildflowers come to life each year. Always, the beautiful waits in line.

I never miss a day of walking to enjoy the gentleness of my country roadside. Its harshness is covered at every season of the year. Grass, dandelions, violets, tall wildflowers, autumn leaves or snowflakes soothe its defects. Animals and birds give it beauty year round. Rains flood it. Sun dries it. Winds sweep it clean. Rocks, flowers and creatures are all a part of its passing parade. Life is beautiful here, where nature and I mend each other's faults.

* * * In every generation since the beginning of man, there have been some people who have cherished the earth, who loved sunrises and moonlit nights, and who felt a brotherhood with land and water, plants, birds and animals, and with all other people who hold life dear. This brotherhood knows no race, creed or clime. It is a camaraderie of spirit that transcends time's passing, a fellowship of the heart that is open and waiting for all.

Jean's book of ramblings and recipes "A Country Mile of Winter" and her book of poetry "The Earth's My Home" are available for $4.95 each plus $1.30 for postage and handling. Her nature letter "Diary of a Back Yard Naturalist", published 5 times yearly, is available for $12.50 per year. Ten of Jean's favorite recipes will be included free with each book or nature letter ordered. Order from...

Country Mile Publications
616 E. Monroe St.
Delphi, Indiana 46923

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