More Spring Rituals

We had planned a short ride to Pittsburg with boards and things for son’s continuing house improvement.  But DH had a bad night and son was sick with a comeback of congestion. DH still wanted to go, so I volunteered to drive Man and Dog on a mini-trip. The price they had to pay was listening to Hank Williams all the way!

Since I drove, I chose the roads, and I took us down a lovely secondary pavements. Earth was rubbing her eyes and waking up to spring.  Freshets ran from last week’s rain. Winter grasses stood tall, and ankle high wheat rolled green to the hedge rows like unfurled undertaker turf. Wildflowers were popping up and there was even some brillant Indian Paintbrush in some meadows. We spied a couple walking ditches picking random stalks of fresh asparagus.

We stopped on the way into town at the Pittsburg Farmer’s Market. We had not been here since they moved to a new area with a roofed area for shade and dry spots on rainy days. Though early in the season, there was a vast variety of things to buy. One man was selling goat meat and swears by its healthy properties and tastiness. Ah, I saved that experience for another day. I did buy lush lettuce, crispy radishes, green onions and eggs.  

I bought a dozen of lovely brown eggs and then down the row I found these too. Laid by  Americana hens, these green and aqua eggs are beauties!!

After a brief time with our son, we headed home.  Since he lives in the north end of town, we headed another mile or so north before turning  back east to a road we had not been on in a long while…his college days in fact. One we left the rolling land around Pittsburg, the land flattens out reaching for the Missouri border. Here the farmland is prize material, the earth dark as wet coffee grounds and rich in nutrients for row crops. Lots of men puttered out in fields and barns today while the weather is about perfect.

A detour of only four miles out of our way took us by Prairie State Park. This is a small but gorgeous area set aside in the middle of farm country. They are saving the prairie as it once was and have herds of elk and buffalo. Today the buffalo are numbering 101 after a buffalo calf was born this week. We could only see them at a distance as they were far away from the road…but they were frolicking and running, enjoying the spring air we could tell.

On to Lamar and around their town square after not being there for years. Like all small Midwestern towns, it fades.  We found one cluttered flea market open where I bought on new tea towel someone had made and then would sell for a song.   

It wasn’t far or long, but the little ride satisfyed an urge for a road trip. Taking our time, meandering past green pastures, roving by grassy meadows, and just roaming around prairie fields made us feel we had left winter behind to unfold and green up a bit

ourselves.