wild harvest

their baskets full,

a sea of elderberries and grapes. grape leaves for wild dolmas. yum.

ty and his beloved berry picking stick. he puts it behind a special tuft of grass so he's able to retrieve it when we return.

so. many. elderberries. it's so wonderful to have the syrup on hand. when anyone is flu-ish or cold-ish or feverish it's comforting to know that you have something on hand that can help. for some weird reason these photos fused together, so the above is my sis glory in another elder berry gathering. i'm taller. and younger.

us, nursing, along the same cool river. it doesn't look the same, not with modern levees and dams.

the people who wandered these lands
before roads and wheels

were really busy

(did i mention link dropped and broke our dslr? sads. this photo courtesy of my three year old broken-esque cell phone.) once upon a time i went away to oregon. when i returned this was up in our bathroom. ty had found it at a thrift store. it's very early 90's.

during grasshopper weather.

the land is just over flowing with food.

a small sample: artemesia cousin...wild tarragon? wild grapes, rose hips, live oak acorn, elderberries, elder wand (hp nerds unite.) we already have some dried mugwort and yarrow on hand. the manzanita berries are calling my name. it's their time.

we're busy too.
i'm determined to process acorns (oak nuts, as my friend calls them, trying to de-squirrel the concept of wild food,) and make rose hip jelly. for now the ones i've gathered will be dried for winter teas. yum yum.


getting ready for the bio-regional swap, thanks mary for being brilliant and putting this together! my bio-region is rockin', yo, and i can't wait to share.

these plants make me blissfully happy.

xoxo

rose hips. the smell of wild roses is the sweetest fragrance there is. it is said that roseville was named after the abundance of roses lining the creeks.