   Walking among late summer meadow flowers  August 18, 2013 By
SCOTT SHALAWAY ( , Parkersburg News and Sentinel  Though I enjoy
cool shady woods on a hot summer day, after dinner my wife and I
often hike to an open field on a high spot not far from the
house. I mow it each fall to maintain it as a meadow, but each
summer it grows back with a vengeance. This year, as wet as it
has been, has been no exception.  To keep the meadow accessible,
I mow a loop trail each spring. I also mow a larger circular
area at the high spot where we keep a fire ring. On clear summer
nights we like to lie under the stars as night falls and watch
as stars pop into view. We watch for shooting stars and track
the International Space Station ( to find it from your location)
when it crosses the sky.  Before nightfall, we walk the loop
trail and sometimes spook a cottontail or deer. But always we
enjoy the summer blooms that decorate the trail.  Right now,
three white flowers are most conspicuous - Queen Anne's lace,
yarrow, and ox-ey