By Bertha Ireland
School was out, birds were singing, sun was out, a perfect day to hunt for wildflowers. We had already visited the patch of adders tongues or dog tooth violets and wind flowers or anemones which grew near a large rock covered with wild honeysuckle, so we thought we would go farther afield.
When I say we, I mean myself and my two younger brothers, so off we went plucking a blood root or two along the way. Our aim was to check on the dutchman’s breeches. Now we had to go through a meadow and climb a rocky cliff in order to reach the spot where they grew. We were richly rewarded because they had spread since last spring.
Now it was time to leave and while going through the meadow we heard a hissing sound and found that it was coming from a snake that looked like a cobra. It sure frightened us and we make a hasty retreat. We late found out that it was a puffed headed adder.
We were still in an adventurous mood so on we went in search of Baltimore headache flowers, so our next stop was a large fenced in wooded area. We discovered a hollowed-out log with a pump alongside to bring the water up from a spring.
About the time we decided to add some water to the drinking trough we looked up in time to see a young bull with his head down and looking fierce charging at us.
Again we made a hasty retreat, reaching the stone wall in time to jump over and be on our way. We later found out that there were many other summer cattle in that enclosure.
Our next aim was to visit the dump. This was used by a neighboring boarding house and we had found useful objects there at one time or another.
We had to go down a country lane and just before we reached our destination I felt a stinging sensation. My brothers had walked over a yellow jacket’s nest and I became the target of their anger at being disturbed so many of the bit on me stinging all the while. They chased me all the way home while I screamed with pain. Now I ask you was this the way to end a perfect day?
Gathering Roots 