Yarrow Tea

  Today, I tried the Yarrow tea. I remembered that this was a possibility when I was kneeling in the weeds to get the pictures of the Yarrow two days ago. The crushed yarrow leaves were highly aromatic, and I had never known that. Even more strange is that they have a scent similar to the plants in the genus Santolina, which I think smell like the first aid cream, Desitin.

This is a little weird, because Desitin is made from zinc oxide and cod liver oil. The chemical in the plants that has an odor is a terpene. There are thousands of terpenes, but they all have the formula (C5H8)n. That means they are carbon rings with attached hydrogens and the "n" refers to how many of them are strung together. The scents of pine and balsam and chrysanthemums are terpenes. I'm pretty sure cod liver oil is not a terpene.

Anyway, I broght home three feathery leaf stalks and dried them.

A really knowledgeable plant person once told me that many plants can be eaten fresh or dried, but you shouldn't eat them in the wilting phase. Something to do with chemical changes, but I don't remember what. So I let them get nice and dry. Then I crumbled them into a powder with my fingers.

I did pull out the stems because I read that the tea can be bitter, and I thought maybe that would help. Then I steeped the leaves in boiling water. This demonstrates another use for the plants. It is used to make dyes. Apparently you can get either green or yellow colors depending on the mordent used.

Then I just ran it through a strainer to remove the leaves. The strength was about right. I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty good. The list of ways this is supposed to be healthy goes on and on and on. I do think natural foods have value, but I find it unlikely that all the claims that are made for most any plant can all be true. But it probably has some benefits.

And it wasn't bitter at all. I would say that if you want to try it, crush some leaves first. It tastes pretty much how it smells.

Would I do it again? I would. If I am walking down that way, I might bring home some more leaves. I'm likely to find them most anywhere, but there are enough on that corner that it would be easy to pick enough to be meaningful.

In other news: I edited a lot this morning. I was hoping to work on the trailer, but the area I was fibergalssing did not dry from the morning dew until this evening. I got one more layer on. All the rest of the time was spent doing some volunteer stuff that was overdue.

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Lazy Self-Indulgence

  Today was an in-between kind of day, and I made full use of it to be decadent and selfish. For one thing, I spent extra time playing my newest game obsession, Klondike. There was a special event that took a time commitment, and I did that. I ate way too many crackers, which were yummy, and chips with 7-layer dip. But (hopefully) I balanced it out for dinner with one of my favorite wild foods, purslane. Irene was thrilled to have me get it out of the garden, and I love eating it. Irene ate some, but she didn't like it as much as I do. It rained off and on in the late afternoon, but we managed to get in a little walk. The sheep in the neighboring lane were just heading home. I was reminded of the nursery rhyme, "Leave them alone, and they will come home wagging their tails behind them." And in the midst of the hardest rain of all, there was this glorious sunset. Nice calm day. Tomorrow, however, I have plans. See you then. 

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Yummy Rainy Day Project

 
The autumn olive berries have been very plump and moist this year. I decided to do something with a few, other than just eat them. I've made juice before, but it's not my favorite. Of course, this doesn't make a tiny dent in the number of berries available.

Anyway, I made orange poppy seed muffins, and threw in some autumn olive berries. Oh yeah, they are good. Om thought the fruit was cranberry.



I tweaked the recipe a bit so it has fewer calories. I could probably cut the oil a little more and add more yogurt. Click this picture to see the recipe.



In other news: I worked on the book in the morning and made these in the afternoon. It seems like I should have done something more, but I didn't. Ho hum. Oh yeah, I cleaned the kitchen.

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Four Miles and Comfort Food

 
Did four miles with 33 pounds this afternoon. I was stiff after yesterday's fast walk, and thought I wasn't feeling much like doing this, but oddly enough, I put on the pack and everything felt good. We walked two miles on trail (not roads), sat down for a few minutes for a snack and drink and a visit. Walked the two miles back to the car, and Nothing hurt at all. This is really encouraging. There was topography and logs to step over. Really and truly... nothing hurts. Very good news.



This is a hike route I take occasionally, from Piney Ridge Road to Hamlin Dam.

It's one I like a lot because there usually aren't many people on it. Cathy really likes it too. In fact, she's the one who first told me it exists.



It leads to the back side of Hamlin Dam. You can just see the orange warning floats above the dam if you look beyond the greenery.



We managed a better selfie today.



And look what I found on the way home-- a puffball that is still edible. Not sure if it will be OK tomorrow, so I ate a double helping tonight. This is one of my ten favorite foods in the whole world. (not that I've made a list of ten, but if I did, it would be there)



In other news: I worked several hours at Shagway Arts Barn. Often, when I'm out there I can get some writing done, but I just couldn't get my head in story gear today, and then a man came in who wanted to talk forever anyway. So it was probably just as well I wasn't feeling annoyed that he was keeping me from writing. In the morning I made granola and filled Cathy's dehydrator. Need to deal with that yet tonight and refill it.

	See Giant Puffball See Another Walk with Cathy
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Spring - Auto-load in Slow Mode

 
After those few strangely warm days in February, we now can't seem to get spring to move into gear. That said, on my walks of yesterday and today there were many indications that it's trying hard.

I've seen a fair amount of mammalian wildlife moving around: a woodchuck, squirrels, this rabbit. And the annual vehicular carnage has begun. Within a half mile of my house there are three dead opossums, a turkey and a porcupine.



My daffodils still have tight buds, but I found these along the road.



This wetland looks essentially the same as it did two weeks ago, so I'll spare you the second picture. Gray and brown.



And yet, I've heard the spring peepers and also chorus frogs. Heard a big plop today, and suspect it was one of these guys, a painted turtle. Picture taken yesterday.



Some of the best color is the weeping willow trees, which always look like yellow fireworks while they leaf out.


I'm hearing the early birds: robins, red-wing blackbirds, phoebes, mourning doves.



But the greenest, prettiest tree was this white pine, which of course, is green all year. The picture does show how little else has greened up yet.



And yet, I brought home a baggie full of dandelion and wild carrot greens to add to my dinner salad. That's a good start, but it's double digit days of April. Time for more green!

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I Found Dinner

 
The nature photography is suffering this week even though I'm walking the dog twice a day. I've been carrying the clippers and clearing some brush away from my trail. Mostly horrid autumn olive. But I can't really manage the dog on a leash (Jade has to be leashed), loppers and a camera.

So I can't show you the picture of this treat in situ. But I quickly plucked it and brought it home. It was about the size of an oversize softball.



I cut it open and the inside was perfect- white and clear.



Now, I'll admit that most anything fried in bacon grease is probably good, but slices of puffball fried till golden is one of my favorite things in the entire world. I also had the last of the zucchini soup and that was dinner!



I go to work in a couple of hours. Then I hope tomorrow will be quiet.

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Today, Words are Better than Pictures

 
It's hard to believe that I'm willing to admit that the pictures just can't capture today well at all.

It was one of those perfect days when the air is cool and the sun warm. The kind of day that energizes me. I worked in the morning at the paper, but got one load of clothes on the line before 8 am. I realize this is probably rather ordinary for many of you. Not me. I get a pat on the head for that.



In the afternoon, I got another load of clothes done (I love drying clothes outside), some yard work (like a drop in the bucket of what should be done), and also picked a few berries (autumn olive).





I also took some pictures of something small and green. Stay tuned!

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Betty's Garden

 
My friend Betty loves her garden! Isn't it beautiful?



And her dirt grows one of my favorite wild foods, common purslane.

I came home with enough plants for 13 servings. Ate 2, 4 in the fridge, 7 in the freezer. Yummy! This is the pile after washing.



And she gave me some new potatoes, too. Aren't I blessed?

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You Have to Look Closer

 
I went out in the field today to collect some small milkweed buds for dinner (they are yummy). Just looks like a messy overgrown weed patch, right?



I nearly missed my chance for that treat this year. The flowers are beginning to open. But I found a few tight buds I could harvest. Milkweed is so common, but so beautiful.



Hunting for small buds, I was pleased to find several of these guys- Monarch caterpillars. Don't worry. There is so much milkweed in this field, and I took so few buds, I'm not endangering the butterflies.



I filled my container and was headed back for the house when I spotted this bud that I could have harvested. But there was something more interesting on the plant. Can you find them?



Which do you prefer, tails or heads? Two fresh little grasshoppers waiting for the right moment to check out the world beyond their doorstep.

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