Sunday, 8:-00 AM. 45 degrees, wind W, calm. The channel is calm, the sky is mostly cloudy and the barometer predicts sunny skies.
Spring is the season of sweet scents. Lilacs of course are very strongly scented, but there are many others. The lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis, of European origin and an old garden favorite, is extremely fragrant. Once established it will continue to colonize an area, and when one comes upon it in the woods one can be sure it is the site of an old settler's homestead. The white, nodding bell-shaped flowers are diminutive but pretty, and the fruit is a bright red, cherry-sized berry. It has been used since ancient times as a stimulant for a weak heart, with much the same effect as Digitalis but milder. I see no reference to the plant being poisonous as it takes specific preparation to render it medicinal. That said, it is not wise to ingest plants, particularly fruits, which are not normally used as food..
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