Violets are blue;
But they don't get around
Like the dandelions do!
--Slim Acres
That little rhyme, written in the mid-1930s, was published in Reader's Digest way back then. As payment, the author was given a choice of $25 or a "lifetime" subscription to the popular magazine. He chose the latter. Now, at the ripe young age of 96, he's still receiving Reader's Digest free each and every month. I have little doubt that he's had the longest-running free subscription to the magazine of anyone else in the world.
I know this because he's my father, whose real name is Harold Pickett. Ever since I was a little girl, he's been known for his homespun, cornpone rhymes, hundreds of them compiled into self-published books of poetry (the first was titled Down Country Roads; the most recent, I believe, is called Eighty After Eighty -- a collection of 80 poems he wrote after his 80th birthday).
For many years, he was a much-in-demand public speaker, entertaining folks who attended service club meetings, graduation ceremonies and banquets of all kinds and sizes throughout Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. All this he did under his "persona" of Slim Acres -- a down-home country bumpkin who stumbled through life with the help of his soul mate, "Lucy." To this day, he continues to write -- even winning a state award for one of his poems last year.
What does all this have to do with Mill Creek Park? Not much, I guess, except that the little verse always comes to mind when I think about spring. And it definitel
y was on my mind yesterday as we made our way to the park to see if we could find some flowers in bloom (besides dandelions). Matter of fact, we did: Lining the grassy pathways out behind the visitor center were hundreds of pretty tulips, mostly pale pink-and-whites dusted with a sprinkling of reds. Out in the family garden, large patches of bright reds and yellows were a cheery sight. Here and there we found sweet-smelling hyacinths and a few brilliant yellow daffodils, but they're a bit less photogenic so we gave them a nod and passed them by.
y was on my mind yesterday as we made our way to the park to see if we could find some flowers in bloom (besides dandelions). Matter of fact, we did: Lining the grassy pathways out behind the visitor center were hundreds of pretty tulips, mostly pale pink-and-whites dusted with a sprinkling of reds. Out in the family garden, large patches of bright reds and yellows were a cheery sight. Here and there we found sweet-smelling hyacinths and a few brilliant yellow daffodils, but they're a bit less photogenic so we gave them a nod and passed them by. Also along one of the pathways, we were delighted to find the saucer magnolia trees in bloom. The small-ish white flowers are simply beautiful, al
though tough to capture with a camera (but that didn't stop me from trying). The grass and foliage were much greener than the previous week when we drove through the park, but there's still a long way to go in the green department, and much of the ground remains covered in dusty leftover brown leaves. Still, the beautiful Victorian gazebo looked inviting bordered
in bright greens -- soon it will be put into service as a magnificent place for outdoor weddings and other special events that take place in warmer months. As we stopped to get some photos of Lanterman's Mill just before it opened, we noticed that flour was being ground and visitors were starting to wander in.
though tough to capture with a camera (but that didn't stop me from trying). The grass and foliage were much greener than the previous week when we drove through the park, but there's still a long way to go in the green department, and much of the ground remains covered in dusty leftover brown leaves. Still, the beautiful Victorian gazebo looked inviting bordered
in bright greens -- soon it will be put into service as a magnificent place for outdoor weddings and other special events that take place in warmer months. As we stopped to get some photos of Lanterman's Mill just before it opened, we noticed that flour was being ground and visitors were starting to wander in.We didn't stay long yesterday, but we'll be back soon because now's the time that everything changes quickly and we don't want to miss a thing. The trees are budding, the daytime temperature is making its way toward consistently warmer (keeping in mind that this time of year, 65 degrees is relatively warm and 70 is a blessing). Many more flowers will be blooming near the gardens, the cooters will be lining up on sunny logs in the Lily Pond and it will be hard to find a parking place in the recreation and fishing areas on weekends. Not long after that will come the wonderful array of blooms in the Rose Garden and (hopefully) the dahlia patch near the Family Garden.
I'll keep you posted!
