Smell the Green Skunk?
BY DON DOUCETTE
Soon…soon it will begin to appear.
Watch your wetland areas.
When we were kids in the neighborhood and had tired of long dormant winter weather, we ached to spot this early bright flash of spring green as if a tonic. A sure promise of the fresh arrival of another glorious spring season.
A natural surety of wealth. The gold standard of spring.
Sap running and tree buds swelling were an early classic indicator, but this green magic was the real thing. New green spring growth was assured!
And if snow yet lingered, our green miracle friend generated its own heat and melted snow close to itself as it emerged from its dormant wetland ooze to send forth its flower, then followed by its vivid green spring foliage.
Bright green amongst a lingering dormant and drab winter wood.
And we curmudgeons would exercise our own transitional seasonal rite of passage which was to bruise a leaf to “smell the skunk.”
This was our self-prescribed vitamin supplement of the day; our home cure energy booster.
And…one more good reason to protect our finite watershed wetlands.
Smell the skunk? Skunk cabbage once again…beautiful and glorious spring green skunk cabbage will soon be here!
Don Doucette
“Ten Mile River Rambles”