It feels so good to get my hands consistently in the dirt again. A long windy, semi-white, pretty cold winter season is now on the shelf in my Franklin Planner. I’ve been transplanting firs and spruce for a month from my protected beds and out in the permanent field for eventual Christmas living rooms.
Finally the Internet and government coupons produced a couple of residential landscaping jobs. I was planting six big, green giant arborvitae on a hill overlooking Edgewood off Hanson Road when my shovel hit a different sound in the soft gravelly alluvium. After examining the stone, I showed my digging partner Bruce an ancient carved limonite axe with the finger depression, concave end, and traditional triangular profile.
Bruce grunted and continued to dig the pits for the conifers. I tucked the stone in the truck and didn’t discuss the implications to the retired landowner.
An hour later, I’m digging holes for my baby Christmas trees on the back slope by John Sauers’ place, and I dig up a second, smaller, volcanic gabbro axehead in Berkley.
Two stones, 30 miles apart, one dizzy digger, two different native cultures, made this idealistic landscaper think, “Goodness, somebody is trying to send me a message.”
It was good to sweat winter flesh, replant America, and dream about who was here first.
As spring flushes in, let me recommend two great paddle launches:
– Turner Creek off Route 213 has tremendous lotus spreads and abundant pileated woodpeckers and eagles in the undisturbed old growth hill protecting the bay
– Hitch Pond Road off Laurel Road has a great kayak launch into Trap and Trussum Pond in southern Delaware.
I can give you more distinct directions at (410) 457-4766.
Go play in the vernal frog pools and look for your own stone reminders.
