Loose Leaf Notes

I drive by horses everyday, or at least on the days I go to town. I see those grazing horses in the pasture right after I pass a small bridge that crosses over a winding creek and before the paved road turns to dirt and heads up a hill.  At the peak of that incline, I pass dozens of yellow finches.  Startled by my car, they fly off a fence and scatter into the meadows full of flowers – buttercup, chicory, clover – whatever is in bloom at the time.

There’s a red barn with black cows out front that I sometimes pull over to watch the evening moon rise from.  After the barn, I take a sharp turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, where I keep my eyes peeled for wildflowers.  Just a few weeks ago it was lit up with yellow coreopsis, milkweeds and bee balms, tiger lilies and a few purple blazing stars.  Now what catches my attention is what I used to think of as fall flowers. They’re early this year – ironweed, Joe pye weed, goldenrod, and a bright red spattering of cardinal flowers.

Sometimes I brake for turkeys to cross the road, or slow down to see white tail deer take off like flying reindeer into the woods. I’ve seen a fox on that stretch of road and recently saw a raccoon walking in broad daylight as if it owned the place.  Once I saw a black bear.  I’m always on the lookout for bluebirds.  I haven’t seen a monarch yet this year.

____Our World Tuesday