It is the magic hour. Early mist drifts up from the Lawson's Ford Creek. A man is photographing a luna moth. He has found it lying on the bridge over the creek. In death, it is perfect, a pale luminous green, white body with intact antennae, and on its wings painted eyes to freighten predators. It lives in the night world of scents of flowers and grasses, the blossoms of trees, hickory, sweet gum and birch.
On the boardwalk over the wetlands, another photographer is carrying his camera approaching me. He tells me that he has just seen a doe with two fauns, no more than a day or two old.
A large dead tree has fallen across the boardwalk. I brush against blackberries, now pink and red and soon to be black and ripe. May has been the time for strawberries, soon to be over. Before they are gone, make shortcake.
This is how my mother made strawberry shortcake:
OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Slice one quart of strawberries and cover with one cup sugar. Let sit.
Make dough.
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk
light cream or whipped cream
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease cookie sheet
Combine flour, sugar, baking power and salt in bowl.
Cut in shortening.
Stir in milk.
Pat dough into a large rectangle one a a half inch thick on cookie sheet.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Split cake while warm.
Spread with butter.
Fill with berries.
Serve warm with cream.
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