Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Backroads of Morrow County: June 16, 2012

Backroads of Morrow County Update:
I saw her today for the first time--the doe with her fawn. He was such a little thing and struggling to match mom's pace. She would stop and go, stop and go, and he would keep following: a portrait of patience and perseverance.
There are lots of little churches along the back roads: Harmony Chapel, Gethsemane Baptist--always has "words of wisdom" on the sign post, Independent Baptist--they always have a "sermon" on their sign. You can't miss them since most of them have a spire, but they all get a yellow sign: "Church." A warning or an invitation? Harmony Chapel has an old cemetery across the way. I'd like to check it out some day; see how old some of the stones are. God's people have been around for a long time you know--even here in Morrow County.
Several people name their farms: "A Touch of Texas," "Hidden Cove" (not any more), "Pleasant Acres." I heard an arrogant chubby old bald guy gave his place a generic name, but he hasn't been crazy enough to put up a placard. Not that he's not arrogant; he's just a hermit at heart and wants to make sure he's hard to find. Today a couple of them had the same name: "Huge Garage Sale"--competing arrows pointing in opposite directions. If my sister Chloe had been with me, I'd still be out there in the hinterlands--just sayin'.
Even though we are rain starved out here, the wild flowers don't seem to mind. Orange daylilies everywhere. I think they would grow and spread in a desert. And the chicory is just as persistent, dancing along the very edges of the pavement or gravel. Is "Fearless Blue" a color? Should be. Lots of sweet peas everywhere as well. Pink sprinkled in the roadside ditches.
If I had a good camera I could publish a book--"Backroad Birds." Most of them have their own little territory. The red-winged blackbirds and mourning doves own the whole world, of course, but the others have their "spot." I know just where to look for the bluebirds, the red-headed woodpeckers, the goldfinch, the sparrow hawk, the indigo bunting. They have a "hangout." I'm pretty sure they're flapping their wings to say "hello" when I creep by. Oh, the huge, ugly clean up crews are roaming everywhere--nomads. Wherever the road kill is, behold the buzzards. Cleaning up other people's mess. Actually, quite impressive creatures. Glad I'm not a dead raccoon.

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