By Lula Anderson
May is here! Is it really the start of the warm weather? or another joke? I had all of my windows open, vented my dryer back outside, shut down the oil burner to have work done on the thermostat, then on Sunday had to take out the portable heater to get worm. On Monday, I reopened the windows and went outdoors. I do love this time of year, though, as one can actually see the coming of summer. Everyday there is new green appearing in the mountains. The lilacs have buds, tulips are blooming. Listen to the sounds of the lawnmowers as our neighbors start spring cleanup. The downside is the pollen in the air. I wake up sneezing every morning. Pity the poor souls that travel down the mountain this time of year. Their bodies don't have time to adjust to the different pollens in the air and most are miserable. Just a few more weeks and we will catch up to them.
Peg R took me to Dinner Church in Lexington last week, and she didn't know the back roads (County Rt 13 and Merwin St) back to Ashland, so my boys and I directed her. It was unbelievable how many deer we saw. I don't understand the Conservation Dept. Come deer season, they are so stingy issuing doe permits. If every hunter killed just one doe, it still wouldn't decimate the population. In a couple of weeks we will be seeing the newborn fawns come out, two or three per doe. How many have hit deer at least once this year? How many gardens are overrun with deer? Yet, we can't kill them. Go figure.
Another warning, bring in bird feeders at night, including your hummingbird feeders, plus don't put your garbage out the night before pickup, wait until that day. Yes, the bears are out in full force. Almost everyday there is a bear in the trailer park. Judy forgot to bring in her bird feeder one night and the next day it was squashed. Going up Airport road on Monday there were overturned garbage pails all over. Judy and Jay saw the biggest Tom turkey with at least 5" beard. AT Conifer Lake, the grouse are starting to appear.
Did you notice Kenny Hunt's Mother's house has been torn down.
Good reports from the Ashland Roast Beef Dinner.
So much sickness. It seems that so many have bronchitis or pneumonia. Prayers for Gerry Loucks, Greg Beckmann and Jeannie Scotti.
AS I REMEMBER IT
You might have noticed the bushes and trees just popping out their leaves and flowers. The Forsythia is coming into bloom, and along the road is the earliest of all blooming trees: the Shad Bush. Little white puffs of flowers along the road and in the hills. We always knew that this signaled the start of Shad fishing season in the river, and the arrival of the dreaded Shad Flies--those pesky, nasty little biters that got in your hair,ears,nose and mouth when you were trying to weed your garden bed. This was the time of year that my parents loved to take us on Sunday rides. After church, chores and dinner, we would all jump in the car and take a ride along the back roads to check for winter damage, see what changes occurred during the winter, and just enjoy the countryside. Check out the wild leek patches, see if they were in bloom, May flowers starting to bloom, birds chirping and building nests. We'd see the deer eating the first green shoots after the dry grass of winter, See the groundhogs scurrying across the road or eating. Guesses as we approached Mt Pisgah. Is there still snow in the shadows and crevices? In the Spring of 1956 it was still there until June. Sometimes we'd stop for ice cream, or to have tea with a relative and not get home until dusk. Remember going through the Jewett woods, over the corduroy road by Biff Goslee's saphouse and listen to the joyful sound of the peepers welcoming spring..
Spring has always been the time to forage the new greens. Dandelions would be dug, washed very carefully for salads, or to cook down like spinach. Many used them for medicinal purposes. The roots, leaves and flowers all have different uses. Bees bring back the pollen to heal the swarm after the winter. Burdock is very tender now, and is said to be good eating.
Spring is the time to start dreaming of planting your garden. Remember Dreaming. Except for peas and lettuce, don't get fooled by the hot days. Remember how fast the weather can change. Very few remember Tessie Gallagher or Dorothy Slutzky. They used the moon phases along with the calendar to plant. On a good year, peas were planted on St Patrick's Day, although most years the date was Good Friday. For years I followed this advice, now I just go to the store and buy my peas.
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