NATURE WHILE DOING ERRANDS

     While driving through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania farmland to do errands on a sunny afternoon in March of this year, I stopped and used my binoculars to watch a flock of stately Canada geese grazing on bright-green shoots of winter rye plants in a field.  While scanning that goose gathering, I saw many lovely, red blooms on a red maple tree, with the feeding geese behind them in the lush rye field.  What a beautiful sight the rye, geese and maple flowers were; so typical of early spring in this area! 

     As I continued to drive, I saw other groups of handsome Canada geese basking in warm sunlight, and more pretty red maple blossoms.  And what inspiring sights they were!  

     I also saw a couple each of little groups of handsome American robins and shining purple grackles looking for invertebrates on short-grass lawns.  They grace lawns every March into summer.  

     Rolling along, I noticed patches of light-blue in some lawns and along several roadsides.  And I saw several little clumps of dark-green plants standing a foot taller than the short grass.  The blue patches were thousands of small Veronica blossoms nestled in the short grass.  And field garlic was the foot-tall plants.  Both these species sprout on lawns, roadsides and fields in March, cheering those who recognize them.

     Field garlic is one of the earliest wild vegetation to sprout in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Each plant is made of a few hollow, deep-green leaves that resemble grass blades.  Each plant grows from a small, white, perennial bulb inches deep in the soil.  And all parts of garlic have a strong, onion scent, which is a natural part of nature in spring.  One can smell garlic while mowing grassy lawns.

     This was a thirty mile round trip, which was made the more enjoyable by the wildlife and wild vegetation I saw.  Readers, too, can better enjoy running errands by watching for nature along the way, throughout the year.         

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