A New Heartsease...

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - More Secrets of the Forest Trail

 

The first half mile of the Trail is fairly steep and where I gather most of my edibles and medicinals.

 

    Over several posts I've shared photos of the Forest Trail and the herbal and edible items I forage there. Yet there are a couple more miles  of varied terrain to this Trail and its paths that I haven't yet shared.

    The Trail is an interesting mix of environs...hilly, flat, open, urban and wild.   

    To access it, I walk out the door of my condo, cross the street and the Trail begins as a graveled urban walking trail passing through a couple of blocks of residential area. Crossing the street again, I come to a sign that says "Forest Access Trail". To access the Trail, I pass between the rear yards of a couple of homes, then make a right turn before coming to a steep precipice. I'm now on the Forest Trail.

    One side of the Trail at the base of the precipice is the rear property of a farm and another trail that descends further to the lake road. The opposite side of the Forest Trail is a steep hill with a few homes dotted along the crest.

    The first half mile of the Forest Trail has some "pantingly" steep ups and downs. It's along this portion - I call it my "cardio hike" - where I find most of the items I forage except the recently discovered apple tree.

    On one of the flatter portions of the Trail the forest management agency has placed a wooden bench. Sometimes I come here to sit and listen. Other times I bring a journal to jot down my thoughts and "gratitudes". Sometimes I'll just sit and meditate surrounded by the lushness of Nature. Its upon this trail that I spend a lot of time over the course of the three temperate seasons - Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Perhaps soon I'll invest in some snowshoes so I can traverse the Trail in Winter! 

    I find here a deep abiding and simple Grace that is nurturing and balancing. Perhaps this is one of the subtlest and most profound secrets I've found along the Forest Trail.

    I'm deeply grateful for my condo which sits on the boundary of a busy urban area AND the soul-enriching beauty of the Forest!

    I never know what the Forest Trail will teach me. It seems each Season I learn something new. For example, today after visiting and sitting a spell on the bench, bright red berries caught my eye. I'd never seen them before. What were they?

 

 

   These bright berries, what were they?

 

    I'd walked this way many times in past seasons, but don't recall every seeing these. I stepped in for a closer look...

 

 

Suddenly I realized that these are the "berries" of honeysuckle!

 

    Thinking of what I saw here in this exact spot last Spring, draped over this small pine tree was...honeysuckle! These then, are the "berries" that form as the vine goes to seed. Eventually these toxic little fruits will dry and scatter their seeds upon the Forest floor. Another Forest secret revealed! (I did go online after returning home to verify that these are indeed honeysuckle berries). 

    The Forest Trail is a place of wonder and abundance. It's also a patient Teacher, as well. I'm continually learning - and finding - new things. Even though I've trodden this Trail many times, there's ongoing discoveries being revealed. 

    After the ups and downs of the first half mile the Trail again exits between two homes to the road which I cross a third time and again pick up the urban walking trail.

    Following this trail takes me to a small community park where folks like to toss Frisbees for their dogs. There used to be a grassy baseball field and one picnic bench. However, the field has gone to seed and weed and is now an un-fenced, but still mowed, dog park. The picnic table is still there, too. No trash cans are on site except for a large trash bag on a hook. 

    Walking across the dog area, I come to an extension of the Forest Trail which winds through conifers, small meadows, and is populated with mahonia bushes, mullein, black hawthorns, pines, wild tansy, chicory, St. John's wort, and a newly discovered apple tree. The Trail alters between being a trail and a pine needle strewn path. It crosses a mostly dry creek in a couple of spots.

 

This behind-the-park portion of the Forest Trail is very flat, narrower, and covered with pine needles. 

 

    Here the grassy meadows are grazed by deer and their sleeping patches, which amount to flattened grass "nests", may be found in the denser copses of pine trees.

    The Forest Trail here forks, winds around, and loops back upon itself, again crossing a small, dry creek which only has water in the Spring or after heavy rains.

 

A cracked board comprises the first crossing.

 

    This area of the Trail is a great spot to gather mahonia (Oregon grape) berries in summer. And, about a quarter mile back is where I found the apple tree!

 

A sturdier couple of boards spans the deeper channel of the second crossing.

 

    Eventually, the Trail leads past the "Dog Smile Tree". This tree is one, that by common, but unplanned consensus, became a memorial to beloved pets who've passed on. Pictures, collars, leashes - even pheasant feathers (in memory of a hunting dog? Or, a pet pheasant?) adorn the branches of the tree.

 

    

The Dog Smile Tree

 

    I think I'll create a memorial to hang on the tree for my beloved, Shadow, who passed away shortly after I moved to Idaho in 2015. She was farm dog, traveling companion, and house pet. I still miss her.

 

This past Spring someone added this "smile worthy" quip by Groucho Marx to the Smile Tree!

 

    The Trail meanders around, forking here and there, eventually coming back upon itself where I exit back onto the urban walking trail. 

    I can either recross the road and head home via the steeper portion of Forest Trail where I forage or I can continue along the urban walking trail all the way back to where I cross the road to the driveway of my condo complex.

    I can gather nearly all of my "foragables" close to home...except edible mushrooms. I've never found them (yet) along the urban walking trail or the Forest Trail :(

    To gather morels and coral mushrooms in Spring I need to drive about 18 miles to access other forest trails at Farragut State Park. In a few days, I'll be driving to Farragut to forage for chanterelle mushrooms! 

    I'll post on this fungal treasure soon!

    Additionally, look for an upcoming post about a skin-nourishing, anti-aging face oil you can make yourself! Why spend money on a chemically-created, expensive "serum" formulas when you can save money by making it yourself. And, it smells divine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #1

 

The forest trail near my condo is a study in natural abundance!

 

    Along this trail I forage for medicinal herbs and edible wild plants. I walk the trail three out of four seasons. In winter the plants are dormant and so am I...sitting by the fireplace sipping hot tea or cocoa, knitting, reading, pondering. My three season strolls give way to more of a focus on yoga.

    I'll share some of the seasonal pleasures I encounter walking the forest trail.

 

Wild Idaho-native honeysuckle is a feast for the eyes.

 

    Honeysuckle is also a sweet mini-sip if I pull one of the tubular flowers, raise it to my lips like the wee trumpet it is, nip off the end, and suck a drop of sweet nectar. Of course, it's favored by the hummingbirds, so I only indulge in one blossom.

 

In the spring bunchberries bear a single, white four-petaled blossom.

 

    At this time of year bunchberry flowers have disappeared and the plants recede back into the general green of forest undergrowth.

 

In fall the bunchberry comes into predominance again with its crown of bright red berries.

 

    Bunchberries may be eaten raw or cooked. However, they aren't particularly tempting to humans because of their pulpy texture. The flavor isn't great either. Tiny in size, a lot of these berries would have to be gathered, so I leave them to the wildlife and simply admire them visually. I think of them as more of a survival food and a harbinger of autumn.

 

First small white flowers, then green, hairy fruits. With anticipation I await the ripening!

 

    All along the forest trail grow black raspberry brambles. When first I saw them years ago, I assumed they were a small blackberry. Not so!

    Black raspberries have always held a particular mystique for me because I'd heard of them but never chanced upon them in the wild, in a plant nursery, in mine or in anyone else's garden! Now, they're an abundant gift of nature that I particularly enjoy. 

    In June they begin to ripen and I begin to harvest! There are plenty for both the critters and for me. I freeze them for smoothies, eat them fresh out of hand, and always make a quart of black raspberry brandy to sip on snowy winter nights alone or with friends.

 

The black ones are ready to pick!

 

    I took the photo above only a couple of weeks ago. Within days the majority of the berries had ripened to a sooo deep a purple that they appear to be black. I harvested a bunch of them.

 

A jar filled with black raspberries and topped off with brandy rests for six weeks to allow berry-goodness to leach into the brandy. Some of the color has already been leached from the berries into the brandy.

 

    On August 19th the soaking will have finished and I'll strain off the berries, possibly using them to make a galette or pie. To the brandy I'll add honey or simple syrup to sweeten to taste and pour the deep garnet liqueur into a pretty decanter. It will be served in wee cordial glasses. 

 

White roses adorn a huge wild rose bush at one end of the trail.

 

    On another forest trail I sometimes frequent most of the wild roses range in color from light to dark pink. All are of the same variety and delight my eyes in early to mid-June.

    Now, in mid-July, the blossoms have fallen and in their place green "hips" are forming. In the late summer the hips begin to change color.

 

In autumn I'll gather the bright red hips.

 

    The  bright red to orange-red hips are a powerhouse of Vitamin C! I gather them to simmer them fresh in honey to make a delicious syrup to sweeten herbal tea or pour onto pancakes, crepes, or French toast. I can dry them to make rose hip tea, too. 

    To make rose hip syrup, rinse the hips of dust and set to drain on a clean towel. Place the hips in a saucepan and pour in just enough honey to cover them. Simmer gently until the the hips soften. Strain out the hips - don't press them you don't want the tiny interior hairs in your syrup. Store the rose hip syrup in a jar in a cupboard or pantry.

    The hips are full of tiny hairs attached to tiny seeds, so I dry the hips whole for tea. A refreshing soda may be made from rose hip syrup by adding a tablespoon or two to a glass, tossing in some ice cubes and pouring on sparkling water. 

    Today's walk has come to a close all too soon. In the next post we'll take another stroll and see what the Forest trail has to show us!

 

 

 

 

    

Chipmunks Running Amok At the Prairie Campground

 

Up on a rise, my Prairie Campground site looked down onto a meadow with a creek emanating soothing, relaxing sounds.

 

    After leaving my dispersed campsite of the previous evening and driving 33 miles into La Pine, Oregon for gasoline, I backtracked a few miles to Pauline Road and followed the forest roads to the Prairie Campground.

    On Google I'd read that the water system had been shut off at this campground. I surmised that no water might mean fewer campers. And, due to the lateness of the camping season it was likely that summer vacationers had vacated, as well. I later found out by talking with the campground host that the water table had dropped below the 150-foot level of the well pipe rendering the campground without water.

    As I haul at least three gallons of water with me when on a camping trip, I was well supplied for a few days.

 

Backing into my ample campsite and unloading my camp kitchen onto the picnic table.

 

    The site fee was $16 per night. With my Senior Annual Parks Pass, the fee was only $8 per night. As the campground host was away, I clipped the cash envelope to the post for my designated spot.

    Almost immediately I was discovered by some very cheeky fellows!

 

My "condiments" bag had a first visitor even before I had a chance to take it over to the picnic table!

 

    This first wee visitor was a sign of things to come! 

    My wine totes are meant for carrying 6 bottles of wine, although I seldom use them for wine. These are great for compartmentalizing camping essentials. I have one bag for "needful things" containing spare batteries, headlamps, backpacker's candle lantern and spare candles - regular and citronella - device cords, bug spray and sunblock, bear spray, wee sewing kit, and a handheld solar device for charging my cellphone.

    The condiments bag - vastly interesting to my furry welcoming committee - contains a couple of canned items and instant Asian-style noodles for quick on-the-road meals (or a rainy stuck-in-the-car day), also Dandi-Blend (for my morning "coffee"), liquid stevia, cocoa powder, dried soy milk, cocktail essentials - beverage glass, olive pick, lemon reamer and whisk, tea cup and tea bags, a packet of dark chocolate, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, chicken bullion,Tabasco, citron vinegar, biscotti, coconut and olive oils, a fork and a spoon for on-the-fly meals, and a couple apples for a quick snack.

    After moving the condiments bag over to the picnic table I upended a collapsible bucket - for rinsing dishes, pots, and pans after their cleanse with a vinegar/water solution. The bucket would foil any attempts at chewing through plastic and foil bags.

    When camping in nice weather I keep my rear hatch up for air circulation and ease in accessing and removing things from the Jeep.     To shut off the interior cabin lights which come on each time a door is opened, there is, just above the the back hatch, a light that when clicked twice shuts off the cabin lights as long as the four side doors remain closed. Each time I open a side door, I must close it and re-click the rear hatch light (located above the rear hatch inside the car). This feature saves the battery from running down due to leaving on interior lights.

 

Just after getting my camp set up, the wind changed and began blowing smoke into the area. The skies took on an ominous orange glow.

 

    After a lunch of canned tuna and red bean salad with corn (Wild Planet), I walked down the rise and along the creek below. Its burbling sound would be delicious to fall asleep while tucked up cozily in my comfy car bed.

 

Ahead of arriving in Cottonwood for the family reunion and trip to the grave site for the memorial in Chester, CA, I thought I'd make the camping part of my journey one of contemplation, prayer, and Bible reading.

 

    After positioning my camp chair and collapsible side table overlooking the wee meadow and creek below, I was suddenly inundated by a curious mob of wee, stripey "menaces." I tucked my Bible out of harms way of tiny feet, shredding claws, and pooping posteriors to enjoy the show.

    One fun thing for the wee beasties was to take a running leap and repel off of my lap! Another was to sit on my flip flop-attired feet. This was way to close for my comfort! What to do besides put on shoes?

    Aha! I also carry a gallon bag of muesli with dried fruit. The bag was about half-way empty and I wasn't planning on soaking and eating any more on this trip, so I opened it up and set it at the base of a tree about 20 feet from my sitting spot.

 

The muesli and dried fruit were a hit! This furry fellow nibbles rolled oats while keeping his piece of dried pear safe under his foot. Some of the chipmunks liked the oats, others preferred the fruit. I laughed out load at one who picked up a piece of fruit, took a taste, and flung it away as far as his little front paws allowed.

    After the introduction of muesli I was able to return to my reading and quiet contemplation unbothered. Other than the smoke, the breezes were mild and the day comfortably warm. 

 

Later in the afternoon more smoke began to assail the campground. This photo didn't capture the deep orange coloration of the sun.

 

 

    Carried on the afternoon winds ash began to fall. I decided that later after dinner and cleanup, I'd pack everything into the Jeep except my camp chair (which travels on a tarp laid on my bed) before going to sleep. If I had to vacate the campground in a hurry I could do so by simply tossing in the camp chair and driving away.

    For dinner I made vegetable "fried rice" by soaking a selection of home-dehydrated vegetables (onion, green beans, bell pepper, corn, peas) in hot, boiled water for about 20 minutes, then draining them.

    In a pot I cooked up 1/4-cup "minute" rice, then mixed in the veggies and a dash of soy sauce. A big, red apple was a welcome dessert. 

    After dinner, and after packing the car, I set the camp chair next to a stump overlooking the creek to enjoy a cup of herb tea and a nut bar. 

 

A wee visitor joined me at the stump for a sunset cup of herbal-peach tea. A few nut chunks from my nut bar kept the visitor from climbing into my tea.

 

    After dark, and some reading and journaling, I lowered the back hatch and snuggled down into my bed and locked the car. I could hear the creek down below through the mosquito netting on my partially down windows and the occasional hoot of a hunting owl. The smell of ash prevailed upon the breezes. Pines made silhouettes against a moonlit sky. Soon I was overcome by sleep.

    The next morning, the Jeep and campsite were strewn with ash. After some personal grooming and taking only my condiments bag, camp stove, and a pot from the car, I had a small breakfast of dandi-latte and biscotti at the stump. No furry visitors were evident. I soon saw why. A hawk circled above the tops of the pines.

    Repacking my camp stove, cookpot, and condiments bag, and the chair, I headed out of camp and drove to La Pine where I'd get a room for the night to shower and ready for arrival in Cottonwood, CA later that day. Googling the area for proximity of wildfires, I discovered that the Prairie Campground where I'd spent the night was under a "potential" evacuation order if the fire should expand.

    In my next blog post, I'll share "how I roll" when packing the Jeep for a few days of car camping. I'll explain what I take and why, and give some tips for living well - and comfortably - on the road...in a car!

 

 

Snow

 

Then, comes the snow in its beauty,
Each flake a pattern of lace
That floats in the air, so gently;
Then, finds its own, special place.

~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham,

"God is an Artist of Nature" (1940s)

 

*Photo taken from my living room window

NATURE - Simple Grace In the Age of Covid-19

 

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,

but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.

~Author unknown,

 but commonly attributed to 

Martin Luther~

* * * * *

    Even in times of tribulation, such as we are now undergoing, God's wild places can soothe the troubled soul and lighten the heart's sorrow. 

    If we can seek out a quiet garden, park, or natural place, we can distance from the clamor, chaos, and cringe-worthy news cycles. 

    In these spaces of quiet and repose we come face to face with God's grace and can then return to our lives refreshed in body, mind, and soul.

 

    Note: The photo above is of Cyrpidium montanum, Mountain Lady Slippers of Northern Idaho, and was taken with my cell phone on an early June forest-walk.

 

Happy 2020!

 

I have always liked the idea of hearing the clock strike twelve on the last night of the old year.... wakeful to welcome the new year's angel when the old one has winged his flight from us, bearing with him the record of our inner years, its sins and sorrows.

~Claribel (Charlotte Alington Pye Barnard, 1830–1869),

"New Year's Eve," Fireside Thoughts, Ballads, etc., etc., 1865

 

    Let us recall the good times that last year brought and make way for the good times this year shall surely bring!

Happy New Year To All!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Wishing Everyone all the warmth and joy of the Season!

Beans, Glories, Turkeys, and a Saturday Morning

    This fine almost-Autumn Saturday morning I observed and enjoyed some examples of Simple Grace I'd like to share. 

    Simple Graces are usually things and experiences that have little monetary value but constitute blessings and boons that lift one's spirits, delight one's eyes, and warm the heart.

    My definition of Simple Grace...is the recognition that a Soul-Full life is gifted with scintillating moments of simplicity and grace.

 

 

Last Spring I planted a combination of Kentucky Wonder, Kentucky Wax pole beans, and Grandpa Ott morning glories in a large pot.

 

    I've been rewarded with edible beans and verdant leafy vines, as well as lovely indigo morning glories twining around five-foot bamboo poles that I gathered into a tepee/tuteur at the top to accommodate the tall vines. These have brought satisfaction, beauty, and edible goodness.

    Each morning I awaken and count the number of morning glory blossoms. Today there were eight!

 

Glories of the morning! They'll stay open nearly all day if I turn the blossoms away from the sun.

 

In addition my pole beans supply green and yellow beans.

 

Cherokee Wax bean blossoms

 

    In a pot next to the pot of pole beans is one of Cherokee Wax bush beans. Bush beans aren't at all bushy. Instead, they form short vines about two-feet tall. I've grown these on a short tuteur. Like Kentucky Wax pole beans, these short vines grow yellow beans. Additionally, they reward me with cute, pink flowers.

 

 

    

While I was admiring my morning glories and picking beans, I looked over the balcony railing and saw these gobblers striding across the lawn. There were nine, but only four fit into my phone's photo frame.

 

    God-given and Nature-gifted blessings and graces connect us to something larger than ourselves, bigger and more heartening than the oft-empty cultural imperatives to "shop 'til you drop".

    Simple graces and heavenly blessings bring us back to what's really important. These things don't have monetary value but do have worth beyond counting.

    Simple Grace is one of the effects of adopting Elective Frugality. Instead of looking for gratification from dollarable things, grace is found in daily life moment by moment, glance by glance. Suddenly, we realize that we are surrounded by beauty and bounty as I have been on this Autumny, Saturday morning!

    May each of you enjoy life's simple, resplendent grace!