Shad Flowers

     Sometimes I am truly amazed at what I don’t see, don’t hear, don’t know.  Take “shad flowers.”  Until this morning, I don’t think I had ever heard of them.  I’m not sure if we have them here in Oysterville, but today I intend to have a look around to find out.  I have the feeling that they are commonplace and I’ve just taken them for granted all this time.
     Leave it to the Old Farmer’s Almanac to send me on such a quest.  Nyel and I were having our usual morning discussion about the weather forecast (rain today; sun over the weekend) and how the weather channel on his i-phone has been all over the place this week.  Not surprising, considering it’s April.  So, I thought I’d see if the Almanac had any words of wisdom.
     But, instead of discussing April’s weather, the entry began:  In late April, the wispy white clouds of shad flowers decorate streambeds and roadsides – a sure sign that winter has passed and spring has truly arrived.
     Really?  Here in Oysterville? I always thought it was the daffodils that told us.  And what are shad flowers, anyway?
     Well, it seemed a no-brainer that they are named “shad” because they bloom at a time when shad-the-fish begin to spawn in rivers and estuaries.  Shad (related to herring) I’ve heard of.  Probably most people have heard of shad roe.
     However, I didn’t know that the shad plant is also known as the “serviceberry bush.”  Now that’s a term I’ve known for a long time, though no one has ever pointed out such a bush to me, nor have I ever looked to see if they grow nearby.  And I certainly didn’t know why they were termed “serviceberries.”  I think I had the vague notion that the entire plant is serviceable –just in a general sort of way.  Like edible berries, fragrant flowers, useful bark… who knows.|
     But, no.  The reason for the name is far more interesting than that and it also relates to the time of year the plant blossoms. According to the Almanac the plant flowers about the time the ground begins to thaw.
     In the past, this meant that graves could once again be dug, funeral services could be conducted, and traveling preachers could begin to make their rounds.
     Oh!  That kind of service.  Since our ground doesn’t freeze to speak of here, maybe I can be forgiven for not having a clue.  But, of course, one piece of information always leads to another question.  In those olden days, what did they do about corpses and funeral services before the serviceberry bushes flowered each spring?  The possibilities are a bit gruesome to consider.