Today is March 15th,”The Ides of March.” To the Romans, the festive day was dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also the day Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Locally, it was the day of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781. On this, the 74th day of the year, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot will perform at War Memorial Auditorium. Oh, and it is one day after 3/14, international Pi day, the math day to celebrate the irrational number approximating 3.14. Children in the Guilford County Schools were having “Pi” day competitions.

The above photo was taken recently on the grounds of Grandover Resort. The plants in the foreground are cattails, typha latifolia. Waterfowl like to nest in cattails (especially Canadian geese). Frogs, salamanders, and fish love the protection afforded by these tall, tough, dense stands of cattails. The fluffy seeds in the tops of the plants are just waiting for the wind or birds to carry them to a new habitat. All parts of this plant are useful and cattails are even edible (read here). Come to our house and we will celebrate the Ides of March by serving up a plate of cattail shoots! Actually, this is not the best time of year to harvest this Native American delicacy!