As the cruelest month gave way to May, I suddenly remembered that the spring wildflowers would be out. Here I’m not referring to those various violets, crocuses and daffodils that adorn suburban lawns, but to woodland flowers, those hidden from most of us, those that reveal themselves only to the ones who make a point to seek them out.
Our local twenty-first century resident Thoreau used to lead annual wildflower walks in the woods the first weekend in May. Although I attended more than a few of his other lectures on the geological and historical aspects of New England, I never got the chance to accompany him on the wildflower walk. He used to say that he never went for a walk in the woods and came home disappointed.
So after lunch I grabbed my camera, a set of binoculars and my field notebook, and set out for the woods....more
Brian T. Maurer has practiced pediatrics as a Physician Assistant for thirty years. His "Marginal Notes" column appears periodically in the Cell2Soul Blog. The title "Marginal Notes" is taken from a quote by Henry David Thoreau: "I love a broad margin to my life."