A Yucca Experiment, and A Nature Walk With Wild Edibles

[Mistwalker]

I was given some Yucca stalks yesterday... about a dozen of them. So now I have some experimenting to do.

I also started another hearth-board out of a Poplar limb for a "one-stick-friction-fire" experiment. I also have the other branches I cut off it for making the bow and the spindle...but I'll get to that part in a few days.

The machete is a blur in this one but you can see how easy it is to control in the slivers I am getting thinning down the end.

So...now an experimental spindle and a different hearth

Then today I went back up the the area I have been exploring lately to get some other photos I needed, try out the yucca, and walk around exploring some more.The woods are already filled with the sounds of falling leaves and the Autumn colors are popping out.

Part-1 of 5

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[Mistwalker]

My favorite way to see poison Ivy...

I still think this is a type of Sumac..

and I'm sure this is.

Different natural tinders are popping out, but I didn't see any thistle today.

I found some more grape vines and marked them on my map too.

Part-2 of 5

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[Mistwalker]

I found quite a bit more Ocoee in a few clearings.

And I stalked this hornet for a while trying to get a decent picture...but the only time he was ever still was while I was busy trying to change the file size. He's about 2 inches long, maybe a little longer and I think it's from the nest I photographed a while back as it's only about 100 meters from where I'm taking the pictures.

I found an open area to try out the yucca. Since the new yucca spindle is so close to the same size as the Cedar spindle I have I decided to try it in the old socket in the hearth board. I also decided to take Tony's advice and thin the hearth board down some, especially considering how soft the yucca is. Man I just love how this machete handles.

Part-3 of 5

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[Mistwalker]

I got a coal after a couple of tries and readjusting my string. The yucca stalk is soft so the bow string compresses it and then the string gets too slack. Definitely ground away more of the spindle than the hearth. I really want to harvest some Basswood soon to try with this yucca.

And the top of the spindle held up a lot better than I expected.

After that I went wondering around exploring again. I think this is another type of night shade.

Lots of Polk Berries and Autumn Olive, the birds will definitely eat well this year.

No idea what this is yet.

Some seedy scat.

Part-4 of 5

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[Mistwalker]

I found a Persimmon tree loaded with fruit...both Persimmons and Muscadines. I am definitely going back when I have more time and see if I can spot a small one or two coming up around it.

This picture just screams Autumn is coming!

And of course I had to much on a few muscadines...will be a bit before the Persimmons re ripe.

Then a few shots I took just because I liked them. I was so caught up trying to focus on the spider web catching the sunlight that I didn't even notice the berries until I got home and cropped the picture.

Not sure what's on these leaves.

Lots of bees on the flowers. I even saw some honey bees though was never quick enough to catch them...so there is a honey tree around here somewhere.

Then a shot of the moon between the trees as I was on my way back to the truck.

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[ratamahatta]

and I thought this was gonna be about the yucca plant!!!!! nice post by the way!!!!

 

[Mistwalker]

and I thought this was gonna be about the yucca plant!!!!! nice post by the way!!!!

Well...it's about part of the plant

Thanks bro, glad you enjoyed the post!

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[Moosez45]

Man, I love the pics of that Fiddleback, and I AM SO JEALOUS!! Not just the machete, but how much time you get to get out. I seem to have to schedule my time outdoors. Sux. Oh well, I get some more dirt time this weekend with my girls. Great pics. Great blade. Great post. Thanks Mist. Moose

 

[TheGame]

Lots-o nice pics. Every time I see that machete it makes me want one more and more. For a machete, how does it chop 3-4 inch sized branches?

 

[tonym]

Good Job Mist! I am glad to see you still working that bow drill brother.

Great pics!

 

[Mistwalker]

Man, I love the pics of that Fiddleback, and I AM SO JEALOUS!! Not just the machete, but how much time you get to get out. I seem to have to schedule my time outdoors. Sux. Oh well, I get some more dirt time this weekend with my girls. Great pics. Great blade. Great post. Thanks Mist. Moose

Well...some of my work, and most of my play takes me to the woods and since I'm hardly ever without a camera I like to share a few of the pics I take.

The Fiddleback machete is really sweet, I love the Barong blade shape, and I just can't get over how well it handles.

Thanks bro, glad you enjoyed the photos!

Lots-o nice pics. Every time I see that machete it makes me want one more and more. For a machete, how does it chop 3-4 inch sized branches?

Well, andy just got things worked out and will be making several more of them :thumbup:

At 12 inches it's a short machete and that's what I wanted, but the weight of the heavy blade (0.120 from the handle to about the middle then starts tapering), the weight distribution, and the two position handle give it plenty of bite. 3-4 inch branches are no problem, I've taken 1 inch branches in one swing several rimes.

Good Job Mist! I am glad to see you still working that bow drill brother.

Great pics!

Thanks Tony, and thanks for the advice!

Yeah...I've been working it so much that this was another time I barely got that coal. I had good smoke going but only stopped then because the string went into meltdown. The outer casing on the 550 cord failed. Now I am thinking about braiding a flat cord from some small braided nylon string. What do you use for a bow string?

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[tonym]

Thanks Tony, and thanks for the advice!

Yeah...I've been working it so much that this was another time I barely got that coal. I had good smoke going but only stopped then because the string went into meltdown. The outer casing on the 550 cord failed. Now I am thinking about braiding a flat cord from some small braided nylon string. What do you use for a bow string?

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I use 550 most of the time, but I picked up some of that white cotton clothes line stuff from Walmart a few weeks ago. I am finding it doesn't stretch and grabs the spindle better.:thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

I use 550 most of the time, but I picked up some of that white cotton clothes line stuff from Walmart a few weeks ago. I am finding it doesn't stretch and grabs the spindle better.:thumbup:

Cool, I have a couple of different types of 550 cord, I used the green because it was more pliable, the tan I have is stiffer but might actually work better. I had thought about braiding some hemp cord to see how it worked but I'll try that cotton line. I can see where natural fibers would have a more coarse texture and work better.

 

[manowar669]

Thay wasp looks like a cicada-killer. Solitary wasp.

 

[Zombie Zeke]

Thay wasp looks like a cicada-killer. Solitary wasp.

I believe your right...

Mistwalker another great post, I am hoping to get back out in the wilds of the desert soon and practice some of the old ways.

btw the scat looked like Black Bear, well fed sucker too!

 

[MSCantrell]

I found quite a bit more Ocoee in a few clearings.

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Ocoee ? That's a name I'm not familiar with. Those are passionfruit where I come from!

 

[Mistwalker]

Thay wasp looks like a cicada-killer. Solitary wasp.

The ones I'm used to seeing that are called "cicada killers" are black and white...bald faced hornets I think they're called. This one looks/is colored more like the European hornet but looks the size of the Japanese or Asian hornets. Pretty sure from what I've read that the large nest I found is a bald faced hornets nest...but sitting and watching it for a while now and then I've seen no hornets. Any volunteers to come shake the nest while I take pics?

I believe your right...

Mistwalker another great post, I am hoping to get back out in the wilds of the desert soon and practice some of the old ways.

btw the scat looked like Black Bear, well fed sucker too!

I hope you get back out soon man, good for the head to get out and away.

That would be most interesting, haven't seen any bear tracks here in many years. Maybe I need to go check that area out a little better...find some exposed dirt areas to look fro tracks in.

Ocoee ? That's a name I'm not familiar with. Those are passionfruit where I come from!

Well...that may be because you don't live near the Ocoee River Valley

Ocoee is the Native American name given to them by the Cherokee.

The flower is also called the passion flower so I'm pretty sure it is a type of passion fruit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata


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