Searching for Greener Pastures

By Jeanne Moseley

Somehow my calendar year has continued in sync with the beginning and ending of school, so when events like "Spring Break" come around, I just feel the need to enjoy myself and take a little time off.

So this past week, I set aside an hour or so ... here and there ... and took to the roads of Ellis County, where I wished for my old VW convertible but settled for an open sun roof.

With the sunshine and warm weather, I'd expected to see more of the green pastures I love so much, but the countryside has a little catching up to do just yet. Still, there was much to enjoy as the wind blew through my car while John Denver and I sang "Country Roads ... take me home."

It's hard to believe there was a drought last year. Recent thunderstorms left us with much-needed rain and water is standing in fields and culverts all over the place. I watched the water rush through Chambers Creek and thought, "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise" actually means something around here these days.

And it's home improvement time, for sure. I passed one house where three men stood on the ground yelling up to one guy on the roof. Hard to tell just what was going on, but my guess is it took all four of them to figure it out.

It wasn't until I returned to town that I had my first wildflower sighting. Down at the end of East Marvin, there's a couple of open fields where wild primrose cover the ground as if ready and waiting for an impressionistic artist and her blank canvas.

Most of the older streets in town show the beginning of curbside iris gardens with yellow and white blooms standing upright in great numbers, and I'm reminded of old Mrs. Roundtree and her backyard garden where blossoms hosted butterflies and bees.

Redbud trees offer a dramatic splash of violet with brown, leaf-barren trees as their backdrop. These are sure signs, Spring is almost here.

A few folks have forgotten to remove their Christmas lights and just about every lawn is in need of a good, thorough leaf-raking, but then that's what Spring is all about.

Soon, a drive through town and you'll find us piling up old branches, planting clusters of flowers and leaning on our rakes exchanging tales while the neighborhood kids set up their lemonade stand.

We'll smile at one another as we watch out-of-town visitors drive slowly past ... full knowing they're just folks out looking for greener pastures.

Copyright ©2001 Jeanne Moseley