Daffodil's Secret
(Photo taken by Tammy Brewer Parker, "The Old Parker Homestead" in Anson County, NC.) DAFFODIL'S SECRET Another gray day in late February. Would this winter never end? I zip my jacket and pull my knit cap down over my ears as I head outside for a walk. Brown leaves crunch beneath my feet. A deer bounds into the woods, forewarned by my noisy footsteps. I see the white flag of her tail as she disappears amidst the trees. I peered into the woods where she vanished, straining to catch one more glimpse of her but her camouflage was too good. However, a brilliant flash of golden yellow catches my eyes. Could it be? Yes! In a small clearing I see beautiful yellow daffodils, nodding in the breeze! I smiled at the sight of them – a true sign of spring. Looking closer, I realize this small clearing in the trees was once a home place. A crumbling pile of stones was once a chimney; a few rotting boards were all that was left of the structure itself. A