Fanning the embers of dreams

I stood on the back porch observing the early morning scene. Pink and white dogwood, glowing in the sun's first rays, ringed the back yard. All manner of azaleas in the neighbor's yard to the right were in full vibrant bloom. In the yard to my left was a privet hedge bush that has grown to tree height. In full white bloom, it looked like a little white cloud had dropped down from the sky. In the distance the sweet locust trees were in bloom, releasing their inimitable perfume on the breezes.

Lines of poetry strolled through my mind -- Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Oh world, I cannot hold thee close enough," and Sara Teasdale's "Spend all you have for loveliness. Buy it and never count the cost." But what I whispered to myself, somewhat petulantly, was, "If they're coming, I wish they'd come on right now." I was thinking of out-of-town relatives who pay me annual visits. There are many beautiful places we could show them now.

One of the older scenic drives is Cape Rock Drive, leading eastward from Kingshighway. Every yard has something beautiful to show. We fondly remember Dennis Scivally, whose dream it was to make this drive what it is.

There are still planners and dreamers of how to make more beautiful spots in our dear old town. Two years ago Robert Snider and Martin Robinson showed me blueprint plans for developing more of Cape Rock Park, that part that slopes down to the river from the rock itself. When the plan was presented to the public, it drew attention because people caught the vision of what it would be like to sit and relax in a quiet, woodsy grove close to the river's edge, with an unobstructed view of "our stretch of the river," both upstream and down.

The plans have lain dormant so far, but are like glowing embers awaiting breezes to fan them into renewed life and action.

Such breezes are blowing. The VFW has pledged its sponsorship. The manager of Alliance Water Resources, our city water plant, has indicated the possibly of helping with a trail down the slope and construction of a parking area after the water plant's improvements are finished. In the meantime, perhaps there are some things that could be done: clearing unwanted underbrush, pruning and thinning unwanted trees and probably setting out seedlings of additional trees and shrubs that can be procured, courtesy of the Missouri Conservation Department.

One day last week I visited the park. It was a beautiful sunshiny day. Standing against the curving guardrail, the view upstream was thrilling. The river was full, approaching flood stage. The breeze was from the south, creating whitecaps on the water. To the east, as far upriver as I could see, the green willows of Illinois made a live picture frame.

If you stand and watch the flowing water and let your historical memories loose, you think of all the lore, fictional and factual, of Old Man River until you are mesmerized by its characteristic of "just keeps rollin' along."

I turned to look down stream. Alas, the river was hidden from view by thick limbs that appeared not hard to prune to me, but I am no tree surgeon. I would have liked to see as far downriver as I could see upriver, past the city's waterfront on down to where I knew the new bridge was going up. In my mind's eye I could see how beautiful it would be at night, like a piece of filigreed jewelry, joining us to our eastern neighbors.

This sloping, undeveloped area down from the rock is largely unknown or unrecognized as already a part of the park. Landscaped with a picturesque trail down to the river's edge is the vision. Picnic tables. Chairs. Hear the lop-lop of the water against the shore as the barges and nostalgic boats go by!

REJOICE!

Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime resident of Cape Girardeau.