Friday, October 24, 2008

Sunday morning discussion anyone?

Hello friends, It's always a challenge trying to find a time when folks can all get together. SO how about Sunday morning, Would anyone like to meet for breakfast/coffee/tea/conversation? Send us an email if your interested.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A journey to the bear site

I have gotten back to the bear site a few times this week to do some exploring. I really like it up there, and I really need to find more time to get there, and of course some folks to come with us. Exploring a place is so much fun, and so relaxing. I am excited to spend some time just sitting out there and watching. Getting to know the changes that happen throughout the year. I am, however concerned about the Bear living there. My concern is that we will be invading a place this Bear, and lots of other animals have found. I am concerned , that I , being a human will again be invading another of the wild places in the park . I wonder if there is a way we can all live together there, respecting the wild things that live there. Will our presence scare the Bear somewhere else, will it scare animals that that Bear lives off? I am tired of being a negative impact on the world, and I don't know if I know how to be a positive impact. I have so much to learn!!!! Again I would love to hear you thoughts. THanks

Thoughts from a soul stuck in the middle

The more I become aware of our roles in this world we live in, the more amazed I am. We spend so much of our time working so we can have the things we need and have the things we think we need, and the things we just really want. After all that time we have very little time to do anything else. I grew up believing that this way of life was the only way, and that living like this made our lives easier. To live in the wild was to live a hard dangerous life filled with work and no time to play. I don't know where I learned that from, but it apparently is not true and actually quite the opposite. My desire to no longer work a job has nothing to do with wanting to sit around and not do anything, I can't handle that on my days off. My desire has more to do with living simply, in the wild. To build a community of folks that have a desire to live life with the belief that it is not mans place to rule over and take from the plants, animals, rocks, and everything on this planet. Life cannot go on with out the plants, the simple organisms that we can't even see, life can however go on without humans, and honestly from the way we are behaving, life on this planet may be better off without us. So what I want to know is how can I live with the wild things, respect life on this planet, and ensure all life has a healthy planet they can continue to live with. I would love and appreciate your thoughts and ideas about my thoughts and ideas. Thanks

Friday, October 17, 2008

Upcoming Fall Events Sponsored by Wildroots

TWO UPCOMING WILDROOTS-SPONSORED EVENTS:
www.wildroots.org
November 1-3
Fall Wild foods camp 2008:

This is the 11th biannual wild foods event coordinated by
the wild roots community. Recently we have been alternating
wild foods hikes with wild food camps. Last fall’s wild
foods camp went so well that we have chosen to do another
one this fall. We plan to have a hike again in the spring.

We will meet on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11 am on Mill Ridge
in the Pisgah National forest near Hot Springs NC.
We will gather to enjoy eachothers’ company, stories,
music, big beautiful communally prepared wild/garden
meals, and excursions to gather and to meet wild and
feral plants. Some will leave on Sunday, most of us
plan to stay until Monday morning. We were planning on
scheduling the camp for Friday-Sunday, but when we realized
that Halloween falls on that Friday, we thought that it
would be best to shift things forward a day.

Directions from Asheville:
Take I-26/25/70/19/23 North from Asheville
Take the Hot Springs exit (25/70 West)
Follow Signs Toward Hot Springs, following 25/70 to turn L
at the Steady Eddy coffee shop
Go for a couple of miles, when you see a bridge passing
over the road in front of you, Exit right
Turn left to pass over bridge over the 25/70
Follow gravel road up hill
When you come to a T at a big white oak tree go right…
you should see a bunch of cars pulled over, walk from
there. If you get to a dead end and a helipad you
have gone too far.

What to bring:
-wild or garden grown (in your garden) food and drink to
share or $20 if you don’t have anything
-shelter: tarp, tent, etc
-lots of warm clothes (especially wool)
-cooking utensils for big groups (don’t bother bringing
small stuff)
-if you are vegetarian, and are sensitive to foods cooked
with wild animal fat please bring your own oil and frying
pan.(I would encourage you to think of wild or local options)

What not to bring:
-please no dumpstered food (it is a great resource, but
doesn’t fit in with the theme of the camp)
-purchased food or drink (including commercial alcohol)
If you have any questions please call 206-661-6550 and
leave a message. Please do not email.
-----------------------------

NOVEMBER 7-10
Braintanning Buckskin workshop, Asheville, NC

A wet scrape brain tanning class will be offered by
Natalie in West Asheville Friday, November 7-Monday,
November 10. Full instruction will be given on scraping,
braining, softening, and smoking deer hides. Prices
are based on a sliding scale: $60-120 to share a hide or
$90-$180 to tan a full hide. You may choose how you fit
within the sliding scale based on your financial situation.
I have one work trade position available. Food and lodging
are not included. If you want to make any special
arrangements please give me a call rather than using email.

Please contact me early to reserve your space. A 50%
deposit is required. My phone # is 206-661-6550.
I often do not answer, so please leave a
message including your phone #.









Monday, October 13, 2008

The Bear site!

We had a great time this weekend scouting a site that we like alot. Its a spot close to the road, and up on a ridge, that isn't too difficult to get up and down to get water. I like ridges alot because they are often open at least at some points, and i have a view of what is happening around us. The only disadvantage is lightening on ridges can be bad. We hiked up a old logging road that doesn't appear to have been hiked much at all, especially on the ridge. We did find alot of bear sign, scat, tracks and overturned rocks and logs. It was awsome to see that much evidence of bears. That hopefully means there haven't been many people around there. We do have to be really careful about living in this bears territory. There are a lot of differen't trees in the area:pine, maple oaks,hickory,sourwood,a few black locusts, and which hazel. As we hiked down a drainage, we noticed lots of evidence of animal activity, eaten hickory and oak nuts, scat from rabbit, dear and bear, and heavily used animal runs. I was very nervous about running into the bear or bears so I did not pay much attention to the trees growing along the way. We hiked all the way down the drainage across the creek and ended up on a trail that lead us out to the road. There are a few old logging roads to explore, it was really nice to find a spot of land that seems to have been left alone by humans for a few years. My hope is that i will be able to spend alot of time there getting to know this place intimately and learn how to have as little impact as I can on this little spot of heaven. I did forget my camera and do not have a visual to go along with this post.
Other things i observed were that most of the flowering plants are in seed or dying back for the winter. The trees are changing! And i love it, it smells so good, and is so beautiful. Hiking through the yellowness of the woods was lovely. I do love fall, and i am excited for the cold, for pumpkins, and squashes, for soup, hot oatmeal and cocoa and for the restfullness winter brings. Ow and sleeping under the heavieness of many blankets.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Friends come gather!


We are heading out tomorrow to check out a place to set up a shelter. This spot is near the road, and easily accessible, so if you want to just come for the day or a few hours, that would be great. My hope is that we will be checking the area out, then settle down to observe what goes on there. Let us know if you'd like to join us.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Oh the places we go


So we went out to the new spot on Sunday, We hiked to the location and took another route which was quite a bit longer this way. We were looking for a easier, shorter way to get there, I guess not this way. It took us a few hours to get there. Fall is definitely here. Many blue/purple Asters were in full bloom, as was this white petal aster. But many other things were dying back. The bull thistle was letting go of its seeds, Milk weed pods look ready to bust. Yellow leaves from the trees were scattered along parts of the trail and the creek. Its a beautiful place we found, however it takes too long to get there for me to use it before and or after work. It will be a good weekend spot or something we can use when we have more time, or if we have to at some point get there for longer term living. I'm anxious to find a place to begin making camp at, at least for a while. I miss being in the woods, I don't get much outdoor time at my current job.