Howdy Friends! What is a meadow? Some of my fondest memories were Sunday afternoons as a boy, in the farm’s meadow. Cow cropped short grass, a small lazy stream, a fence line of briars, wild cherry trees, elderberries, quail and pheasant nests. Tall hickory trees dotted the meadow and laying in sweet grass gazing up into those tall trees I’d watch squirrels dart and fuss.
It was in that meadow I learned a skunk can indeed spray if you pick it up by its tail. I learned there too, turkey vultures can and will throw up on you if you stand 2 feet in front of them and throw your bag of freshly picked meadow tea at them as they sun on the top fence rail. And muskrats will most likely bite you if you reach deep enough into their creek bank tunnel.
Minnows are easiest to catch if you build a little backwater dam, and great blue heroins will catch more than you.
Most every Sunday afternoon between one and three, that meadow would be my favorite teacher. From wildflowers, reptiles, birds and mammals, that meadow was as diverse as a young boy’s curiosity, and willing to share lessons, beauty and comfort. Today more than 6 decades later, meadows to me remain very special places.
What is a meadow? A little bit of heaven for anyone who seeks it. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
