WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. -- In the summer of 2003, Mike Stevens decided to take a day and travel a bit around Wayne County. He took some time to soak in the daisies On The Pennsylvania Road.
The warm, sweet winds of summer creep over the mountains, drop into the valleys and crest the next hill to start all over again. Tiny clouds, nothing more than feathers really keep company with the blue sky above. At long last, it is summer.
If there were any real doubt of that, any question in your mind, look but a few feet off nearly any road. If you were too busy today, or otherwise unable to, allow us to look for you, dear viewer and we'll see how the daisies are doing.
They grow wild and free, spreading their wealth into fields and back lots. They seem to thrive on the same things we do -- a little moisture, some food when it's needed but most of all we like sun --- a dollop or two throughout the day is fine for what ails us. When we get all that, it certainly makes us feel better. Just look closely at a daisy and you can see for sure how well it works. Bright, golden faces surrounded by a wreath of pure white.
Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw an unhappy daisy. Photographer Paul Kielbasa and I like to think of daisies as a true sign that summer is back and for the time being, at least the good times are at hand. They're especially good for one small daisy plant living along a country road near Hamlin.
It avoided a mower, skipping rocks, large doses of road salt and crushing piles of snow and it still shines on. Lucky for it, even luckier for us.