It’s May now in Peacham and the weather has been
unseasonable warm lately. All but the
smallest amount of snow remains on the mountains and gone completely from the
lower landscape.
The days have gotten longer, which makes early evening walks
just perfect. The trees with their
budding leaves, the tulips popping up, and the slopping hills covered in
scilla. The air seems to be filled with
the sweet smell of maple, the smoke rising from the sugarhouses. Being new to the area, we had our first visit
to a sugarhouse. We were introduced to
sugar on snow, donuts dipped in warm maple syrup, and hotdogs boiled in the
amber syrup and finally maple creamies.
The village corner is slowly coming back to life as the
summer resident’s return. Not to mention
the cows after the long winter are filling the pastures with their black and
white coats and sounds. The stray cats
in the village are seen wondering around, and the little chipmunks are
exploring the yards for nuts they long since buried.
As I walk in the evenings, the air is full with crickets and
frogs making noise and the dogs seem to enjoy running down the road to explore
it all. It’s turkey season and a
neighbor stopped by to show your 5th great grandson the first kill
of the season. He is excited to get his first.
It will be almost a year since we moved to Peacham and I
find that I am looking forward to seeing folks that have been away for the
winter and more community events starting again like the summer farmers
market. The market provides a welcome
distraction on Thursday afternoons and an opportunity to see all the wonderful
fruits, vegetables and crafts that people have been working on through the
winter. And since it’s just outside the
back door, it makes getting fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner so convenient.
I was reading your letters recently you wrote to your
daughter Martha, after her departure to Michigan. I find myself about to say goodbye to my
first born as he departs for college although not so far as Michigan. And I wonder how you stood at that dooryard
so often to say good-bye?
I go by your place of rest most days now, wonder if you know
that at last some kin has returned to Peacham.
Your loving great, great, great, great granddaughter.
