Ohio Treasure Basket

We have had about 5 days of the most beautiful fall weather anyone could want. Fortunately, I was able to get out and enjoy it just a bit.

This warm spell reminds me of the lovely fall walks we three girls had with my father on my grandmother's farm. There was a great unknown woods out back of the farm and we grabbed a bushel basket and went looking for treasures. The first stop was the sheep field. They were always so cute and cuddly looking. Then we went through a gate. This put us directly into "wild" territory. We stopped to visit a well where the water was so cold. It smelled of eggs, but to this day, I think it was the best water I have ever tasted.

If one of us found brightly colored leaves, we tossed them into the basket. This was in Ohio and the red leaves were gorgeous. Going on a little farther, we found a beech tree. They have beechnuts. There is an outside prickly shell and then a smooth shell inside. You have to peel this with your teeth. Then you get a tasty treat. We roamed here and there seeing the step stone type of fungus on a tree. Then we hit a clearing. The sun was just piercing the trees. Its rays landed on an old stump and butterflies were dancing around it, doing their fairy dance.

The girls and I were getting tired. We found the traditional buckeyes, shiny mahogany seeds in their shells and some on the ground. You couldn't eat them, but I just loved having one for the joy of its beauty - until it dried up and then it didn't look as nice. My dad found an unusual fruit called a paw paw. He put one or two in the basket. When we were home, he cut it in half. In it nestled beautiful purple seeds. He said it tasted somewhat like a banana.

On our journey home, we took turns carrying our treasure basket. This trip was such a little thing to do. My dad was the type of person to do things like that - to make a memory.