Trapped

Finally we were able to get together for more than just a potluck--lately-- (although potlucks are great!).

Today we went wild and practiced building Paiute deadfall traps. It was even easier than I had remembered. It felt good to use my hands again for such a fine purpose.

On the way we saw an amazing log with at least five varieties of beautiful living slimes and fungi. We intend to participate in the Avl mushroom club this season. I can't wait.

Cold days of winter

Well its not actually that cold, it was for a second, but it has warmed up a bit. I like the weird weather we have here in the winter. I am in the midst of a job change and haven't been able to find as much time as I'd like to be in the woods, but I have gotten myself out there. A friend and I got out to harvest wood for bow drilling, and as soon as I knelt down to show him how to bow drill the rain began to come down. But we did get our selves some pine to work with so the next time we practice we will be ready with some dry white pine. My medicinal herb class has been great, i really enjoy the folks who are taking the class, and i am enjoying the knowledge I am receiving. However I am also feeling a bit overweening. Over and over I am hearing from the few teachers we have had these past 2 weekends, that herbal medicine is more an art form than anything else. They can give us some basic guidelines, however it is up to us to test it out for ourselves and find what works best for us, there is no set book of rules . For me it is both overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. Most of the knowledge I am to receive will be what I learn from doing it on my own, getting to know each of the plants intimately, getting to know my body and how it works intimately. Yes this is what i want, what i have been looking for, but along with all this is the dreaded "P" word, yes......"patience". A lesson I am having a difficult time learning, or actually I have been having a difficult time with this one for quite a while now. My relationships, my jobs, the people who have passed through my life, my body, the woods have all been working very diligently together on this one, I supposed its important.

Saturday in the woods

Hello friends, we are going to the woods this Saturday and Sunday to explore and collect berries, and anything else we can find, you are welcome to join us, email me if your interested and I will give you directions. The location is only 30 min from Asheville, so you can come for the day or overnight. I will share what I know about bow drilling if you are interested. Hope to see you there.

Wild foods Camp

A few of us met near Hot springs for the wild foods camp. I had alot of fun. We gathered Autumn olive berries, there were tons of them! chickweed, wild onions, and burdock leaves. After we walked around and sampled wintergreen, gathered sumac berries, sassafras root, and some other herbs for tea, we went back to camp to feast on bear and deer meat provided to us by some folks from wild roots. The meat was cooked up with the berries, and the salad was tossed with bear fat and apple cider vinegar that some one made. As people came they brought with them food that that gathered, grew and created. Persimon pudding, pickled glasswort, folks bought squash,apples and garlic, that we used to make soup. It was soo good, no salt added and it was still wonderful. And we found persimons! I have never eaten Persimons and I love them! We sat around the fire and listened to some incredibly talented musician entertain us with mountian/ bluegrass and waltzing music, it was good fun watching folks waltz in the woods.
The next morning we woke to the cooking of wild boar, that someone gave us, we cooked that along with chicken of the woods, cabbage, garlic and Dakon. Chicken of the woods reall does taste like chicke, its weird! But delightful. Pears were added to the left over soup and apple mix, and we ate that as well. After the morning feast, we gathered up for another plant walk. It was more of a medicinal plant walk this time, since a few folks that joined us in the morning had quite a bit of medicinal herb knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a great weekend, just sitting around the fire listening to folks share their knowledge and love of the the woods and a simpler lifestyle was wonderful. I hope we can create this more often. This coming weekend, I am going camping and anyone who wants to come is invited. I will share my knowledge of bowdrilling with anyone who wants to learn. Sat and Sun, Nov 15 and 16th.

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.

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