April is always such a beautiful time in the Ozarks. The rolling hills are dotted with blooming redbud trees, the grass is greening up and growing taller and taller and the temperatures are much milder. The golden forsythia bushes were joined this month with blossoming japonica and flowering almond as Mother Nature put on quite a show. Now that we have reached mid-month, the lovely foliage of the peonies has emerged and the early purple iris out by the cellar are beginning to bloom. In only a few days we will have another explosion of color and fragrance.
Jim finally got the yard mowed for the first time this season. It took parts of three days to finish the chore since he had to go over some spots several times. The pesky purple henbit was thick in the back yard and there's a variety of grass that's quite tough when it gets a little too tall. One day while he was mowing, I planted my gift marigolds, filled the birdbath with water and did some weeding in the flowerbeds. Jim has bought a new pump for the fish pond but hasn't installed it yet.
A recent letter from my aunt and uncle in Kansas City reported that the guys had disbanded their KC Banjo Band. Aunt Mary said she sent an apple box of memorabilia to the banjo museum in Oklahoma City. Then a call the next day from nephew David made us really appreciate our unfolding spring. He told us there was still some snow remaining in his yard in Connecticut. Of course, that was still a big improvement over the 8 feet he had on the ground recently. It was a real joy to hear the pride and love in his voice as he described his daughter Savannah, who's now 7 months old.
I rode along when Jim went out into the country last Friday to look at a home that needed repair. We meandered into the woods off Mount Olive Road east of town and found our way to the residence on Audubon Road. As we make our drives these days, we're beginning to see that a few folks have started their gardens. We're reminded that the popular farmers' market will be opening in Old Town Park this Saturday. It will be interesting to see what the vendors have to offer this year. I'm hoping to find some green onions to chop and add to my scrambled eggs.
As we returned from our trip to the country, we spied a lovely new home being built just off the main road. There were lots of large windows to offer a view of the nearby countryside and let in the sunlight. It seems there's always a flurry of activity in the springtime, among humans as well as nature's little creatures. Construction on this home seemed to be progressing nicely. I'm sure the owners hope to be enjoying it before the summer heat.
Gladys Taber, in The Book of Stillmeadow, wrote that "April is hope ... and the whole world changing mysteriously, a white-and-brown world to a world misted with green." We're reveling in the changes as the landscape seems to be waking up. We hear a chorus of birdsong during the day and the peeping of tiny frogs at nightfall. A pair of mourning doves, with their glistening soft grey feathers, has been visiting the back yard. We will need to fill the bird feeders soon.
I've been inspired to make a few changes in the house too. At last I turned loose of the big braided rug that has long adorned our living room floor. Its edges had become very frayed and we agreed it was time to relegate it to the trash can. We replaced it with a smaller oval jute rug with a running horse design. At about the same time, I moved my potted flowers outside to the front porch, so we've exposed more of the beautiful old hardwood floors. It gives the room a fresher feeling and will make it easier to clean.
The ladies in our quilt class had a delightful outing last Saturday when we attended the quilt show presented by the Q.U.I.L.T. (Quilters United in Learning Together) Guild of Northwest Arkansas. We carpooled to Centerton and ate lunch at the Tex-Mex restaurant there, then drove on to the county fairgrounds for the guild's 15th show. We enjoyed browsing through the two exhibit buildings and admiring the handiwork in the 450 quilts on display. Prizes were given in 25 categories and some of our members were acquainted with the "Best of Show" winner, Nora Krein of Gentry.
Susan Holland is a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer and a long-time resident of the Gravette area. She may be contacted by email at sholland@nwadg. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 04/15/2015