Flowers in bloom?....check. Birdsong in the air?...check. Trees aleaf in supple verdure?...check. Now, as the laudable list lengthens and the sentiment soars, I’m reminded of the ugly others. I acquired my first blood sucking tick of the season this weekend. Yep…first, there will be more. That camouflaged moth I photographed last week has been alleged to severely infest and defoliate thousands of sassafras trees in a single spring. I like sassafras…undefoliated. Then yesterday, as I wicked through the wet grass edging the woods, I saw my “first poison ivy vine of spring.” Not quite the long regaled rite of the season. But nevertheless it was a reality check worth the notice. For many of us, the evil bites, rashes, sneezes and itches preclude the riches of the out of doors, particularly the way-out of doors. But I accept them and learn from them. I try not to scorn the thorn that upholds the rose, though admittedly the mosquitoes rarely go uncursed in our yard. I’ve accepted they all have their roles and their lusty excesses. They just need a few moderating influences, and for that I’ll try to lend a helping hand. Keeping it real.
