As a kid, I remember Dad loading us, and 2 or 3 five gallon buckets, up in the back of the pickup truck early Saturday morning. We'd head off in search of any and every kind of wild flower we could find. We'd fill those buckets up with Bluebells, Fairy Trumpets, Indian Paintbrush, Chokecherry, Fireweed, Columbines,... and
"Wons".. lotsa' "Wons"... Yellow 'wons', blue 'wons', purple 'wons'. Won's were any flower that we didn't know the name of.
Then we would all head to town with our flower in tow to decorate graves. One cemetery was pretty old and ran down. Don't think it had any 'caretaker' or maintenance to speak of. Dad'd pack along a shovel and rake, and we'd weed and rake while he 'spruce up' the graves by mounding the dirt back up.
We'd leave coffee cans filled with creek water and wildflowers on about a dozen family graves. It felt good to see them all 'purdy'd up' as we drove off. But as a kid, I kinda' felt like I was getting cheated. Everyone else was off camping and picnicking. While I was weeding and raking..???
Now days, I get up 'n out by myself Saturday morning. Gather a bucket or so, and take them in to the Folk's gravesite in a well maintained, beautiful green cemetery. It's a great time to thank the Old Man, for some of the 'values' that he instilled in me. Like 'em or not!..
My kids are all off in the mountains camping and partying this weekend..
And we have the wifes 'family reunion' on Sunday.
