by
Jean Hughes
May 22, 1995
Come to the wild places, quick! May is waning. Come to May-spring in all its glory. Come to the little rivulets that race through the hills. Come to the springs that feed small pools where wildlings drink.

I was born in a town along the Mississippi River. The fascination of water has a lifetime hold on me. Water is life! I drink it, wash in it, wade in it, swim in it, ride on it and cook with it. But mostly, I watch it and listen to it.

This afternoon, I stand on a bluff overlooking the Wabash River. I gaze into a sea of tree tops, with the river winding between. Clinging to the steep hill in front of me are masses of white stars of Bethlehem and lavender Miami mist. Everywhere I go, I find wild gardens.

* * *
In the early morning, I sit on a sandy hill beside the White River. The river and I flow along. At its edges, the water is baffled as it catches in pockets along the shoreline and flows upstream. Willows hang along both sides of the water. Downstream, the trees are so tall and bent that they seem to touch and make a canopy.

Chimney swifts with twinkling wings skim over the water, catching bugs. A sapsucker swoops overhead. A jay squeaks.

Across the river, a man brings his fishing gear to a small boat. He makes several trips, humming and singing as he walks back and forth. His voice floats across the water. It fits into the day as naturally as the birdsongs. He is happy.

As he starts down the river, he waves, and we shout, "Mornin'!" to each other. I wonder how many people fish so they can have an excuse to spend time with the beauty of the wild, and with the water?

* * *
It is twilight, and I am out fishing, but without a pole. I cast my line to a whippoorwill singing along the roadside. By chance, I snare one of those rare, ecstatic moments that bloom into life unexpectedly.

I stand quietly, listening. The whippoorwill stops singing. It flies to me and flutters, and circles around and around my head. It is so close that I could touch it with my fingertips. I can see its brown and white markings clearly. Its wings whir with a velvet beat.

As suddenly as it came, the bird swoops back into the bushes and begins, again, its ceaseless calling. I hear a slight click before each call. That split-second click must be when it takes a breath. That is how it can sing and sing without seeming to stop.

Few people have seen a whippoorwill so close or have heard that click . . . serendipity!


If a few necessary ingredients are kept on hand, this delicious sweet can be ready to eat in about one hour.

Kitchen Shelf Lemon Cake
In a large bowl, mix together for 2 minutes, at medium speed:
1 pkg. lemon supreme cake mix, 1 small pkg. lemon gelatin,
4 eggs, 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup oil.
Pour dough into an 8 by 11 inch greased and floured pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
While hot, punch holes in the cake with a fork.
Pour on a glaze made by combining: 2 cups sifted powdered
sugar, the juice of 2 lemons, and 1 t. coarsely grated lemon 
peel. Cool the cake in the pan.

Today, I am at my favorite spot in the creek. Here I find a wild, meandering delight. I splash along. A creek is just the right size for me. Big rocks slow the water. From every hillside come the tricklings of spring. Water slips through the bottoms of the hollows, tap dances down small waterfalls, and seeps from spring-fed bogs -- nectar from the hills.

There is a peaceful din here. Catbirds and towhees sing. Woodpeckers knock. Butterflies perform air ballets. Tadpoles swim in schools -- magic schools where they learn how to turn themselves into frogs.

Each time I take a walk, I see some new beauty that has been there year after year, but I was blind to it. My main vocabulary in May consists of, "Look at that! Look at that! Isn't that beautiful!"

Copyright 1995, Jean Hughes.

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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