Romanticized by James Taylor, John Denver and many other artists, country roads have long offered an escape from the noise and congestion of our towns and cities. In the modern world, however, as our rural landscapes gradually succumb to "development," these roads have become high-speed short-cuts for commuters and a wide assortment of commercial vehicles.
Following a hot, dry summer, gravel dust now coats the vegetation along many of the country roads in central Missouri and, this morning, recurrent clouds of dust, courtesy of the relentless traffic, discouraged my birding efforts (and kept the avian residents away from the roadways).
Indeed, escaping the impact of modern human "progress" is increasingly difficult. If James Taylor is still taking walks on country roads, I advise extreme caution!
