It's beautiful weather for the beginning of Memorial Day weekend which was called "Decoration Day" when I was young. By either name, it has always been a big part of my life. Some years we have really "made the rounds" - southwest to Lenox and Guss, west to Prairie Rose, Arlington, and Evergreen, north to Walnut Grove, Oakland, Mt. Etna and Mt. Zion. But the last couple of years it has only been to East Fairview in Lenox, Maple Grove at Guss, Prairie Rose southwest of the family farm and Oakland at Quincy.
It was 45 years ago today, which was also a Saturday, that we buried our father at Prairie Rose. Most of his Lynam relatives were buried at Oakland Cemetery south of Quincy, but Dad wanted to be buried near where he and Mom had lived all their married lives - a mile west and a mile south of their farm. Dad had just celebrated his 61st birthday eighteen days before his sudden death.
We cut across country from Maple Grove to Prairie Rose. Just south of Prairie Rose we were surprised to see a black squirrel along the edge of the road. It ran and hid before I had time to take a picture. But I did get one of a red-tailed hawk ....
.... as well as a few of an extensive massing of wild blue phlox, also known as Sweet William or woodland phlox.
Whether in the shade, as above, or partial sun, they were beautiful.
And located along the north bank of this little stream.
We had talked about extending the morning and doing more exploring of dirt roads and hunting rocks, but I was content with just this little bit of a nature fix.
And the hoarse screaming kee-eeeee-arr of the Red-tailed Hawk as it soared above us.
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