As we remember the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, I’m cleaning up from the results of a flood in my apartment.
From the moment I noticed the stain on the ceiling, to the 10 minutes it took the landlord to shut of the water to the building while I covered everything with tarps, enough water broke through the Sheetrock to damage the carpeting beyond repair. (more…)
Tags: Journal, Political, Survival
When I started this business almost two years ago, my goal was to be able to be out in the woods while writing and working. My budget does not include finances for a hard-wired computer, like those used by our military.
My woods time is spent writing with pen or pencil and paper and transcribing my written work to the computer. I do work at my computer, but need to swim the butterfly strokes in order to be able to move my arms and shoulders freely.
So, when I heard about Nicholas Negroponte and his One Laptop Per Child program, I was inspired by his dream to ensure every child in remote third world countries has access to a computer. (more…)
Tags: Hiking, Internet, Political, Writing Life
I’ve just spent four days with people who love nature enough to celebrate the fungi, plants, insects and the rest of the natural world.
The COMA foray brought mycologists, biologists, chemists, chefs, and any other skill you can imagine, together to explore the woods of Moodus, CT in their favorite way.
I could write forever about ways to eat mushrooms. I really like to eat, so I hung out with the foragers and the chefs, while the scientists spent hours peering through microscopes to study the details of the samples we brought in.
I had a chance to follow George Johanson to a spot where hazelnut grow.
I’ve never seen maturing hazelnuts. Squirrels usually get there first. (more…)
One of the COMA activities, beyond finding and identifying mushrooms is the experience of eating mushrooms. The act of consuming mushrooms is known as mycophagy.
I’m not sure if the term includes eating all mushrooms, or if it applies specifically to eating wild mushrooms. What I do know is that I’ve just experienced my first mycophagy event. I took the opportunity to observe master chefs preparing shitake, maitaki, chicken mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles and black trumpets.
Tags: Foraging, Fungi, Word Play
The weather in my neck of the woods has been unseasonably cold. Too cold for the black trumpet mushrooms, but apparently not for this giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea).
I was out early, but not early enough to keep a few insects from taking a bite or two. This thing weighs at least 3 pounds.
What’s really neat is that I’m on my way to my first Clark Rogerson Foray, held annually by COMA. I’m going to bring this along.
Tags: Foraging, Fungi, Hiking, Journal
I love early morning hikes, before the day gets busy. It’s a privilege to watch a spider weave a web.
Tags: Climate Change, Hiking, Insects, Video
It’s a whole lot of fun blending in, rather than scaring away the wildlife.
I was amazed that this deer raised up on his hind legs to reach the food he wanted.
I’d been using the video feature of my Canon PowerShot A710IS, pushing the limits of the battery. That may explain the jerky quality to the footage.
I almost fell over, when the deer started walking toward me. That’s when I ran out of memory - of course.
But still, for a moment, I was blended in, part of the natural world around me. I live for those moments and wish they were universally important.
The moving picture feature of my Canon PowerShot A710IS comes in very handy on the trail.
These two rattlers were busy on Schunemunk Ridge several weeks ago, oblivious to their human audience.
Luckily they provided an opportunity to get still photos, too.
I knew that indigo, marigold, and walnut, among others, make excellent fabric dyes. I now know that the following plants also make excellent dyes:
I also learned that cream of tartar works to keep colors from bleeding and it’s safer than alum. Read on for a basic recipe on how to make dyes from plants: (more…)
Tags: Flowers, Nature Curriculum, Trees
Organizer Nicole Carman is a genius. This event brought 182 participants to Mt. Pisgah State Park to participate in events ranging from kayaking and horseback riding to firearms, ATV safety, and wild game cooking.
If you can do it in the outdoors, there was someone to teach you how in a mini-workshop. I learned about WITO from my friend, Bird Lady, who attended as a participant this year, rather than a presenter. (more…)
Tags: Birds, Flowers, Foraging, Gardens, Political, Survival, Wild Food Recipes