Rock Art and River Stone Cairns

 

River Stone Cairns 

Stacked Stone, Balanced Rock Sculptures,

Rock balancing, also known as stone stacking, stone building, and stone balancing, is when you balance or stack rocks on top of each other in various positions to produce beautiful land art sculptures or stone cairns.

At Joiner Brook

This One Is created By Nature

Rock Art In Lake Champlain

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Foraging Wild Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

I went on a Wild food & Herbs Foraging walk. Here is an edible mushroom I learned about. Shaggy Manes (Coprinus Comatus). Look at this great big patch of shrooms! The second photo shows one turning inky. The third photo show them at their prime edible stage.

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms have tall caps that are somewhat pointed oval, and covered with frilly, lacy scales. They are normally off-white and oval shaped when fresh, which is when they are edible, then aging quickly to gray and black, often releasing a blackish, ink-like substance that you will not want to get on you.  I've heard of paintings which used shaggy mane ink as the medium!

Shaggy Manes deteriorate very quickly, so if you gather them for the table, choose only truly prime specimens, refrigerate them as quickly as possible, and serve them that day.  Otherwise they will almost surely have started to ink.

Shaggy Manes are among several members of the family called “Inky Caps” and share a family resemblance, though, only one of this family is called Inky Cap, and that is Coprinus Atramentarius.  It starts out dusky gray, and like the Shaggy Mane, ages quickly. Why this should interest you is that Inky Caps (C. Atramentarius) are used in the making of antabuse, a powerful drug sometimes used in the treatment of alcoholism, that sickens people who then consume alcohol. A similar (but milder) reaction has been reported by some who have eaten Shaggy Manes with alcohol, so caution is advised the first time you eat this mushroom in combination with your favorite adult beverage.

Another caution:  Shaggy Manes often grow beside roads. It is always wise to think about where you are picking a mushroom you intend to eat.  Well-travelled roads are likely to have had all kinds of stuff (oil, transmission fluid, and anti-freeze, salt) leaked or spread onto their surface and when it rains, these pollutants get washed to the shoulders, where it can sink in and become a part of what you are thinking about picking.  Areas that are likely to be sprayed with herbicides are another consideration. 

Don't be scared off eating a fine edible that is considered choice by most people, just remember to always be thoughtful in your mushroom gathering and eating!

NOTE- Forage Only When Necessary: Do Not over harvest wild foods. Foraging is fun, but remember that as a human, you have the ability to source your food in your natural environment - wildlife does not. If you must forage for food or herbs for an ailment, only harvest 5% -10% of what you see of any plant or patch you find, so it has a good chance to keep growing and come back next year. Remember that other lives depend on it. 

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Covered Bridges Of Vermont

 

Autumn Framed 

by Gates Farm Covered Bridge in Cambridge, Vermont. Until 1950 this bridge was in a different location and was called the Little Bridge. It was moved here when the Seymour River was diverted and crossed the Gates family farm. Built in 1897 by George W. Holmes, it is last bridge to be built during the historic period of covered bridge construction with the Burr arch design, and is one of only nine surviving Burr trusses in the state.. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1994, after years of neglect, and with its new location in a flood plain, the bridge suffered deterioration and was removed from its abutments. In 1995 it was restored, in the process, making the interior clearance 18 inches (0.46 m) higher to allow larger farm equipment to pass through.

The Mills Riverside Park covered bridge, Jericho, Vermont.

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Anise Hyssop

Bees and I share a love of Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), which is also called Licorice Mint, Korean Mint/huo xiang, Giant Blue Hyssop, and Patchouli Mint to name a few. These names point to some of the qualities of this plant, as well as the valued use in Traditional and Classical Chinese Medicine. Both the leaves and the flowers of Anise hyssop can be used fresh or dried. With a natural sweetness and a mild anise flavor, it’s best harvested while in flower, and dries readily for teas and other preparations.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Bunnies

Bunny In Someone Else's Yard

Bunny In My Yard

Bunny In My Yard

 Pretty Bunny Visiting A Garden

A Pair Of Bunnies Behind My Dentist's Office

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Driftwood

Driftwood Reflections

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Summer Garden Flowers

Snap Dragons & Queen Anne's Lace

Anemone.

Also known as the Grecian windflower.

Kirigami
Columbine In Red & White

Hibiscus Loveliness

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Barberry

 

Barberry 

Berberis vulgaris

Barberries are edible, with a tart flavor, and very rich in vitamin C. It is used as a folk medicine in many countries. It’s used to treat acne, eczema, Candida infection, and scurvy.The berries are also used to treat many gastrointestinal problems and coughs.

The bark and root of the plant are used to treat coughs, colds, respiratory tract diseases, fever, infection, and flu.

The plant is also used for getting rid of gout, renal problems, bile diseases, diarrhea, gastric indigestion, rheumatic symptoms, and dermatitis. Barberry is also a uterine stimulant.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Chantherelle Mushrooms

The Cantharellus mushrooms are known worldwide

as chanterelles and are some of the very best edible mushrooms. Chanterelles are always found growing from soil, unlike false chanterelles (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) that are found on woody debris. The Chanterelle is found and enjoyed by people all over the world. It has many names, pfifferling, girolle, gallinacci, in this country, it goes by the name chanterelle or occasionally by golden chanterelle.

Chantherelle

Chantherelle

Chantherelles

NOTE- Forage Only When Necessary: Do Not over harvest wild foods. Foraging is fun, but remember that as a human, you have the ability to source your food in your natural environment - wildlife does not. If you must forage for food or herbs for an ailment, only harvest 5% -10% of what you see of any plant or patch you find, so it has a good chance to keep growing and come back next year. Remember that other lives depend on it. 

THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, FAVS AND COMMENTS. AS ALWAYS, APPRECIATED VERY MUCH!  © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

Calopteryx maculata (Beauvois), also called black-winged damselfly. The ebony jewelwing has an iridescent green body with dark wings. Wings of the male ebony jewelwing are completely black, while wings of the female are smoky bronze with a distinct white spot (pterostigma) at the outer edge of the forewing. This is a female. Adult ebony jewelwings hunt for resting arthropods but can also catch prey in midflight, such as gnats, mosquitoes, and crane flies, using densely spined legs to trap their prey. Ebony Jewelwings can wander quite a distance inland from water sources, but is more likely to be spotted at the bank of a marsh, pond, lake or stream.

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Chipmunk Cuteness

Chipmunks Like Rhododendrons Too

Chipmunk Portrait
Chipmunks are part of the squirrel family and they are smaller, with alternating light and dark stripes along their cheeks and backs. There are 25 species of chipmunk, 24 of which live in North America. Chipmunks are excellent tree climbers and swimmers who live in a variety of habitats, including plains, mountains, forests, and deserts. Chipmunks like to live alone in holes or burrows called dens. 
Chipmunks hibernate in cold weather, which means they spend most of the winter sleeping in their dens. One chipmunk can gather up to 165 acorns in a day. In just two days, a chipmunk can collect enough food to last an entire winter, although chipmunks typically hoard much more food than necessary. 
Chipmunk young are born in late spring, and stay in the nest for up to six weeks. Female chipmunks have one or two litters per year, each with four or five babies. Chipmunks are 7.2 to 8.5 inches (18.5 to 21.6 centimeters) long including their tails, which can account for nearly half of their length.

Eatting The Cherries From My Bushes

Enjoying Trilliums

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Spreading Dogbane

Spreading Dogbane

 Apocynum androsaemifolium

The root was used by many Native American tribes for a range of medicinal purposes, while fibers from the stems were processed to make fine thread or strong cordage, such as for bow strings.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

 

Fringed Polygala

 Fringed Polygala, 

Polygala paucifolia, Polygaloides paucifolia, Other common names: Bird-on-the-Wing, Flowering Wintergreen, Fringed Milkwort, Gay Wings, Gaywings. The leaves were used externally by the Iroquois as a wash or poultice to treat abscesses, boils and sores. It was once believed that leaves fed to nursing mothers or dairy cattle would increase milk production.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Fernilicious!

Fabulous patterns of ferns.

The Beauty Of Ferns In The Forest

Can You Tell That I Love Ferns!

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False Hellebore

False Hellebore flowers and buds. Veratrum viride, known as Indian poke, corn-lily, Indian hellebore, false hellebore, green false hellebore, giant false-helleborine, wild corn, cow cabbage American false hellebore, American white hellebore, bear corn, big hellebore, devils bite, duck retten, itchweed, poor Annie, blue hellebore and tickleweed. A native woodland plant that produces small green flowers and big beautiful green leaves. This plant was considered to have magical properties by many Native American tribes, who used it for talismanic and ceremonial purposes, as well as to treat conditions ranging from hair loss to madness. It is extremely toxic.

False Hellebore flowers and buds closeup.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Bunchberry

 

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a wildflower that grows in mixed wood forests. Its dogwood-like white flowers appear in late spring, followed by bright red berries in summer.

This plant is also called Bunchberry Dogwood, Dwarf Dogwood, Canadian Bunchberry, Dogwood Bunchberry, Pudding Berry, Crackerberry, Creeping Dogwood, and Dwarf Cornel. 

Bunchberry fruit is said to edible, but not very flavorful. The fruits reportedly can be consumed raw or cooked. Native Americans used them in puddings and sauces, ate them raw, or dried them for winter use. The fruit is said to be rich in pectin.

Bunchberry was used medicinally by a number of native American groups. For instance, the Abnaki used an infusion of the leaves as a cathartic tea. The Hoh used an infusion of the bark as a tonic. The Iroquois took a decoction of the whole plant for coughs and fevers.

Bunchberry provides a food source for some species of wildlife. 

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Lupine

Lupine
Lupinus, commonly known as lupin or lupine, is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae. There are over 200 species of Lupine. The term lupine, from the Latin for “wolf,” derives from the mistaken belief that these plants depleted, or “wolfed,” minerals from the soil. The contrary is true, however; lupines aid soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air in a soil form useful for other plants.

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Catmint Pollination

 Catmint Pollination. 

I know it looks like lavender, but it's not. Some people harvest catmint leaves to use as a culinary herb similar to mint.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Dame's Rocket

 

Dame's Rocket attracting A Butterfly with it's delicious ­­­­­­fra­grance­. Also known as Dame’s or sweet rocket, dame’s or damask violet, rogue’s or queen’s gilliflower, vesper flower, mother-of-the-evening. It grows in purple or white. Dame’s rocket is a food source for caterpillars and a nectar source for butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Many people enjoy eating young dame’s rocket leaves in salads for their bitter tang, similar to arugula. The sprouted seeds, are also edible. In the Victorian “language of flowers”, dame’s rocket symbolized deceit because it is fragrant in the evening but scentless, or nearly so, during the day. Dame’s rocket has been used medicinally to induce sweating, promote urination, and loosen a cough.

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Thanks for your visits, favs and comments. As always, appreciated very much!

© all rights reserved by Elise T. Marks. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.

Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants and mushrooms are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.