Alsea Falls Plant Walk + Some

Hello lovely readers! I hope this blog finds you happy and feeling fine on this lovely Spring day! I've had a particularly nice week, what with my best friend coming down from Portland for 5 days of bonfires, an amazing concert and a gorgeous hike up in Alsea Falls, some of which I'd love to share with you here. 

Isabelle, Justin and Heather, on the trail to the Falls...

Firstly, we have some sad news... The gimpy chicken we'd been trying to nurse and save for the past couple months finally gave up on this life, hopefully to be rewarded for being such a good little chicken and come back as something that can run or fly with the best of them in the next one. She had been deteriorating more and more everyday, and I had just decided the night before to talk to Justin seriously about putting her out of her misery. I hated the idea, but I could just tell she was miserable and that it would be more humane to let her go. Lucky for all involved, she made that choice for herself. Doesn't seem fair to be born into such a short, hard little life, but I have to think there was some kind of grand design involved in it. At the very least, she was well loved, which has to count for something. 

Also, we have started letting the rest of the babies out of the coop now, which is working out great so far. You could see some of the older hens establishing their rank in the pecking order at first, but I think everyone's starting to get used to each other at this point, although the chicks tend to stick to themselves for the most part. Here they are all huddled in a sunny spot, soaking up some rays. Cute little buggers!

Some other things are now in full bloom around the yard, including my Bleeding Heart bush! This is the first year it's bloomed since it was given to me a couple years ago, and I can only assume it's because it appreciates this setting better than the last. ;) I have always loved the beauty of these plants so much! Ever since I was a wee lass and we had a bush outside our house in rural Arkansas. I used to pluck the flowers and squeeze them to see if they'd really bleed. They didn't... :( 

And the Cherry trees are in full bloom!!! There were no Cherry's last year, but I'm assuming this year will be different, as you can just hear these trees humming with bees. I'm so excited! 

Also, the Dandelion's are already starting to fluff, so I'm really looking forward to wishfully spreading their lovely seed all around the yard to encourage even more this year. We've already had lots of Dandelion leaf in our salads this Spring, and look forward to tons more, as well as powerful root medicines, etc.

My seedlings are starting to sprout, which is mighty exciting! I especially love the deep purply-green of the Red Chard! There's nothing like successfully bringing a new life, or thousands, into the world! ;) Thanks Heather for helping take care of all these guys for me while you were here! <3 It's a big responsibility, and I always appreciate some assistance.

The Hawthorn is really starting to explode with bright, vibrant greens already! It's one of the few deciduous's that have. Really hoping for lots of flowers on this one this year as well, as it also didn't fruit last year. I <3 Hawthorn!

Saturday, Heather, Justin, Isabelle and I, all took a hike out to Alsea Falls, to find a fullness of fabulous forest flora and fauna fertily fructifying all around us! ;)

It was awesome!

Here the odoriferous Skunkweed is in full bloom, in all it's redolent majesty... 

The alluring Fawn Lily, gracefully bowing her head...

I guiltily startled a couple of cuddly snakes whilst climbing up a slick rock. One slithered away, but this one stuck around to give me the stare-down... Sorry!

Ginger, Ginger everywhere! I thought it fitting that there was tons of Wild Ginger all throughout our walk, as there were two Humonid wild gingers wandering amongst their grandeur, for sure! 

Here the Wild Ginger is tucked up to the False Solomon's Seal and what I thought was Ducksfoot, but now I'm not sure... 

What I thought was Coltsfoot... (any expertise would be MUCH appreciated!)

Peeking out at the Falls through the foliage...

Mosses, Ferns and tree stumps... my favorite Oregon decor! ;)

Wild Ginger and Oxalis oregano...

Ponderosa Pine Bark...

Salmon Berry Flower...

Roaring River Rapids... <3

The gorgeous Falls...

more Wild River love...

Mossy Roots...

Little Falls...

This Nurse Log/Stump, was sustaining life for 3 different trees, at least.

Me, happy in my element...

amazing littlle Bryophytes... <3

Trilllium!!! <3<3<3

HUGE patch of Wild Ginger!!!

Yellow Wild Violets... Just love anything with the word "Wild" in it's name!

Intriguing little plant of unknown origin. Interestingly enough, looks a lot like a pic I found of something called "Sweet Colstfoot"... Anyone??

Because I love the symmetry of nature...

Mossy arches! Thanks again, Oregon! ;)

The Skunk Cabbage forest...

And finally, more Nettles!!! I <3 you Nettles!!!

Thanks again for reading and viewing! Hope you enjoyed it! And hope you have a beautiful day! Go marvel at the moss! ;)

Backyard Foraging: Usnea + Signs of Spring

Took a walk around the yard today, as I  was extremely happy about the sun finally being out for once, and because things are starting to spring up all over the yard, which I'm also super excited about! I took lots of pictures of everything that had been popping up, as well as ended up gathering some Usnea to tincture. Read on...

Found some wild onions that Justin ended up throwing in some soup he made tonight... A great source of Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium!

(best soup EVER by the way. thanks baby!)

These tiny little wild violets have actually been out for over a month or more and they are quite beautiful for their size!

The Yarrow is springing back to life and I can NOT wait for the gorgeous white blossoms!

Birch! <3 What more to say?

Breathtaking Crocus'!

Plum Blossoms!!! There are SO many buds getting ready to explode! There's going to be TONS of plums this year! Can't wait for fresh plums and jam, and pie, and, and, and....

I have no idea what these guys are, but I can't wait to find out! I love the way they're starting to unfurl...

The next few pics are just of my favorite spots around the yard... Smurf huts, log paths, and little red lanterns...

And finally, I paid a visit to my favorite tree friends, the Hawthorn, and decided to pull off some of the dead branches that to me seemed to be weighing them down. They didn't fruit last year, and I am talking to them and tending to them however I can, to encourage them to provide me some flowers and fruit this year. In the process, I discovered that a lot of what I pulled off was pretty heavily covered in Usnea, so I started collecting...

I had a little helper by the name of Kitten Ocifer!

One of the younger Hawthorns was a bit unhappy about me picking at it, and gave me a little love bite.

It was well worth the finished product though! One of the first tinctures I've made in a few months now, and it feels good. As you can see, I left a bit of the Hawthorn bark that came off with the Usnea, as an added bonus to the medicine.

Hawthorn Usnea! <3 <3 <3

Thanks to my handsome partners question below, I've decided to include some information on the plants I'm talking about using in this blog, including Usnea and Hawthorn. According to Kiva Rose, Usnea's great for "rebalancing bacteria and eradicating infection throughout the mucus membranes, from mouth to lungs to gut to urinary tract and on." She goes on to say that, "The energetics of Usnea are cooling and drying, and it is broadly indicated for nearly any infection (especially those of the mucus membranes) with symptoms of heat, or heat with moisture. It seems to have the strongest, quickest effect on the lungs and bladder and is often used for infections associated with those organs. Even very serious infections such as pneumonia can respond very well to a strong Usnea tincture." And also that, since it's a cooling drying herb, it's best not to use on someone who's already very cool and dry by nature. You can read the whole article here if you are so inclined. I was personally researching cures for boils and cysts, when I found several suggestions for Usnea as an aid for this on several websites and within some of my books, so I will let you know what level of success I have with this particular usage for it. I also read pine pitch salve, and plantain (which I'm thinking to combine) which I'd like to  make sometime soon as well, and will let you know how that works out also.

Hawthorn, which is the tree where most of the Usnea I collected came from, is considered sacred in some mythology, and a tree of the Fae Folk. It is best known for it's effects on the Heart (think "Heart-thorn". I do), and is very grounding and healing in that respect. A friend recently went through some pretty traumatic health ordeals and was in the hospital and rehab for several months. One of the complications of everything that she was going through was an increased heart rate, for which they put her on some sort of blood pressure meds, which she was having an adverse reaction to. She started taking Hawthorn tincture, and her heart rate started to slowly decline into the "normal" range after several days of use. For more information about Hawthorn, check out Herbalist Darcey Blue's lovely monograph about it here. It's a lovely tree, which I have much affection towards!

Hope you found the information informative! ;) Take care!

New Blog, and a Year in Photos...

Decided that instead of revamping my old blog that I would create a completely new one! I may still use the old blog, but the past year has brought so many new things into my life that it only feels right to start anew with this blog representing the new me, and our adventures in this next chapter. I'll start with this first post chronicling the entire past year in photos. Pour some tea or coffee and relax as I guide you through our year...

Justin and I met almost exactly a year ago, March 12th, at a St. Paddy's day show at Sam Bond's. It was a Pogues cover band (KMRIA), and this pic was taken from the bench I was standing on when Justin introduced himself to me and kissed me on the hand. <3

He sent me a text the next day that said, "some people are just born beautiful". I was hooked! This is us a couple months later... 

This was also the first year I got to explore Bend at all, after 5 years of living here. We stayed in a yurt, which was also a first, and had way too much fun... I'd really like to make it back this Summer. It reminded me a lot of New Mexico, which I miss terribly, so would really love to explore this area more.

This pic is of Justin and I in Bend, exploring the plant life. See?? Looks a lot like NM!

Myself, Heather and Lori having the way too much fun. ;)

Next we went camping for my birthday at Hobo Camp on the Row River, up past Dorena. It was a breathtakingly beautiful place with woods, a river, and waterfalls. It was a completely magical time, and definitely going down as one of my fondest memories to date. 

The magic campsite right on the river...

kids, friends and guitars... good times!

The gorgeous Row...

Heather and Michele, soaking in the rays, and basking in the soothing sounds of the roaring river...

Hobo Falls! Completely awe-inspiring!

In July, Justin's mom and daughter came out all the way from Tennessee, and it was a fun-filled couple weeks spent mostly out in Dorena, where Justin's sister and Grandma live, right on the Row. Here's a pic of Just, and his near-grown daughter. It sure was so great to meet you Aiko! You're so much fun!

We also got to spend a couple days at the Coast, with Justin and his family, which was just such a blast. Justin's mom rented a house right on the beach, with some awesome tide-pools to witness in the wee hours!

We found a Sea Faerie!

This photo Justin took of me is one of my favorites of all time. It really captures the feel of the place to me. <3

Fairly soon thereafter was the Faerieworlds Celebration, which was a completely magical time. Lots more photos of the events can be found on my Facebook but this photo of the altar at the main stage, with Woodland playing in the background, was definitely one of my favorites...

 Here's one of Isabelly all decked out in her faerie garb. Didn't take long for her to lose the wings and the parasol and give 'em to me to lug around all day though. ;)

And here's me in my cat-faerie get-up... ;)

Here's Justin in his Pan outfit. It was so convincing, we got stopped fairly regularly by folks wanting to nab his picture. They're out there on the internets somewhere... There was even a lady that wanted to specifically take a pic of his belly (it is a wonderful belly, but I thought I was the only one to appreciate it as much), and another lady came up to him and told him he was the real thing (Fey)... Yes, indeedy!

 And here's one of the lovely Joey and her beautiful girls... I made the wings for everyone. It was a labor of love. <3

This woman was breathtaking! Quite possibly my favorite costume of the entire event.

This is Nymbol and his maker. He and his kiddo's all hand-made their puppets, and put an a pretty amazing show for us all. 

This was definitely my second favorite costume. I just love her colors and her style. She IS most definitely a the real thing also...

And the winners for best group outfits go to these guys! They've actually inspired many ideas for this years costume for me, as they are just so lovely in their naturalness...

This is one of the last photos of Isabelle and I taken in our townhouse in Eugene. This was right before we headed out to the Eugene Celebration. Oregon is so amazing with all it's festivals and celebrations! I feel pretty darned blessed to live in such a beautiful, diverse place. 

For example, these amazing B-Boys! Ouch?

And a Eugene icon, the Further bus. Ken Kesey and his family have made a huge impact on this community, supporting arts and community efforts...

Earth DecenDance put on an amazing fire show at the Celebration... There were performers on nearly every street corner, and such amazing vendors. There is just so much talent in our community!

Much of the rest of the Summer was filled with lots of little river trips, and camping adventures... I cannot wait til the weather is warm enough again for this! I have to admit that the winters here are pretty hard on me. Instead of getting used to them, they seem to get harder. The reward is during those 6 months of the year when it's amazingly gorgeous, and your surrounded by immense green-beauty all around...

In October, we moved out of the townhouse in Eugene, where Isabelle and I had lived for exactly 2 years, and we got a little place out in the country, close to our friends Jack and Joey. I will probably move my blog post about the process of getting this place over from my other blog just so you can know how much effort we put into making this place ours. We are now starting to turn this place into a real homestead, with the chicken yard finished, a coop going up this week, and a greenhouse next. Justin has lots of plans drawn up for the gardens that you can see on his blog that should hopefully be happening really soon also. The sedentary-ness of the winter (which has been in FULL effect! lol) is about to be over and big time. There are so many huge plans in the works for this place! I'm so excited!

Also, I have started on the path to Herbal learnin'! Near the end of last year, I started many tinctures, syrups and salves. One of the most prolific was the Elderberry elixir I made. It's helped me already, several times this year, and should be enough to last me til they're ready to harvest again next year! <3 Elderberry!

My salves cooling!

My Herb Shelf! Justin is going to be putting up some more of these for me hopefully soon. :D

Here is my Isabelly and her friends on a bike ride on our country road! I love this pic...

Oh, and when we moved in we added another member to the family, "Ocie"! She is one of the 5 kittens I fostered from 4 weeks old til 4 months. She was the only one left at the adoption place after about a month, so I took her back! Yes, I am turning into the crazy cat lady! :D

Isn't she just so cute and sweet though???

Another AMAZING thing that happened this year was a long awaited trip to New Mexico!! Home of my heart! I do love the Pacific NW for so many reasons, but New Mexico has long felt like my true home, which this trip further solidified for me. It is the plan that in the next 8-10 years, to be able to buy a chunk of land and move out there. Until then, I hope to be able to return sooner than every 5 years or so! These photos could and should probably be a post unto themselves, but this is the year in photos, so I'm keeping it on here.

 There are again, many more photos on my FB, as it really is a most enchanting and beautiful place. I have lived all over it, from Pecos to Truth or Consequences, but I really fell most deeply in love with the area that is Catron County. It's one of the biggest and least populated counties in all the country, which is probably part of the draw for me, well that and it's intense beauty. Don't you ever just watch movies like "Jeremiah Johnson" and wish to know what it would've felt like to wander this land long before we "civilized" it?? Well, New Mexico provides for you a bit of a taste of that. I'm sure there are other places in this country I've yet to see that do the same, like Montana and Alaska, but NM pulls on my spirit more than any place I've seen thus far, and I miss it terribly...

This is the cabin on my Dad and Stepmom's land that we stayed in. It is also the cabin they lived in for nearly 2 years while they built their current house. It's one room with minimal electricity and no indoor plumbing. I miss it!

A morning visitor, the Raven... got to see him and his kind nearly everywhere I went on this trip...

My folks own 10 acres of land backed by BLM land, with my Stepmom's folks 10 acres on one side, and her folks friends 10 acres on the other. There are some neighbor houses to see from some areas of the properties, if you try real hard, but other than that, it's an oasis in a sea of Scrub Oaks and Junipers. I  totally fell in love with these trees and probably took more photos of them than might be considered normal, but I just love the way they grow in response to their often harsh environment. They are dwarfs compared to our towering firs and oaks of the NW, but they can grow OUT almost as tall, forming amazing acrobatic feats of twists and turns, making them a most magnificent natural work of art.

My Dad and Rolly... <3<3

My Dad and Justin... Two peas in a pod <3<3

My folks cat Tigger. He's been around for I don't know how long, and here he's trying to fill his water bowl with his Jedi powers...

My Stepmom's parents got to make it down in time for Thanksgiving and to see us, which was a really nice treat. They are such lovely people...

Another wonderful gift of getting to go back to NM was the opportunity to make a trek out to the Anima Center again.

I love the people and the place there so much! Ever since my first trip out there several years ago, I have felt very tied to the place, as it is completely magical and intense. Or as Loba here said, "it's like New Mexico, on steroids"! Exactly. You can NOT come away from that place without being completely transformed. Every time!  

SO much love for this woman!

This is the gorgeous wood stove in her lovin' kitchen! The food she prepares is some of the best, if not THE best, I have ever eaten! Incorporating wild foods into everything she makes, as well as lots of love and intention, makes it the delicious art that it is. 

You might not be able to tell it, but there's a lovin' kitchen over there, up and behind those rocks. This was taken seated by the lovely San Fransisco River, by which they dwell...

Said River...

Looking up at the Ponderosa's near my cabin...

Said cabin! The "Goddess Lodge"...

View inside the "Goddess Lodge"...

View of the Cliffs near the Anima Center...

Cougar? tracks I spotted on my hike out...

S/he seemed to be following these... Javelina? tracks...

And finally, when I was near to where I parked my car, I spotted a flock of Wild Turkey scaling the cliffs...

Do you see him? It's blursula, I know, but he's there...

We also got to witness the "Festival of the Cranes", a yearly celebration at the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Sanctuary near where my folks used to live in San Antonio, NM. This is where THOUSANDS of Sandhill Cranes and Blue Herons, Geese, etc. flock to every year in route to warmer climes. As proof of our human impact on the planet and it's inhabitants, the turn-out this year was record lows. Sad. Just look at these magnificent creatures... Sad to think they could be leaving us.

We should be ashamed...

New Mexico sunsets are some of the most brilliant I've ever seen...

Here's Isabelly with her Emma and Grandpa, hammin' it up at the Bosque...

Moonrise over the Bosque...

We also took a day hike out behind the VLA (Very Large Array), after a little picnic. The one and only pic of the gang, and everyone looks bewildered except for Izzy. heehee!

 There were so many wonderful rock formations in this Canyon... What was it called again, Terri??

Crone Rock....

Camel Rock...

Turtle Head...

Skull Rock? or Grayskull? ;)

George Washington Rock?

Oak Grove...

Fox Scat!

Here's what we saw on the way out... 

Also got to drive up to Albuquerque to see an old friend all too briefly... <3

The rest of the Winter pretty much went like this...

Yule...

Isabelle made Ugly Dolls for everyone, the owl she made for Angela being my favorite...

Here she is modeling the new Wildcrafting Basket I got at a White Elephant party...

Here's Justin modeling a miniature version of himself and looking harrier and harrier all the time. I love it!

All the amazing presents I got this Holiday... I am blessed!

Heather, Michele and Grace on a country walk near our house... <3

Then... SNOW!!! Finally! The rest of the country was blanketed in it, getting sick of it, and I just wanted something to finally stick for once! Here's our Heavenly Bamboo off the front porch covered in it... <3

 The view from the corner of the backyard...

And that's all folks! It's March again, and the start of another new era for me. The first couple of months of 2011 have been pretty bumpy, but I'm hopeful for things looking up soon what with the change in the season and all the new things blooming more and more all around us. Thank you all for reading! Looking back like this, and compiling all the years memories this way, has made me realize what a great blessing this past year has been, which is exactly what I needed right now. It's my hope that this blog will be more of a real blog than my last one and I will be better about chronicling the important events of my life as they happen, instead of saving them all up for the end of the year. ;) Look for lots more homesteading and wildcrafting photos as they happen, as well as recording the festivals and things that happen all around us here in Oregon, as they're soon upon us.

Much love!

~Amanda Lynn