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TonyM looks like Will on Will & Grace, haha! Good times.
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Better than a good day at work.......
- Thread starter DOC-CANADA
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I should have made a note yesterday, but I seem to recall some were blooming. The stalks are normally collected in fall and winter, after they have died back.
Even if there isn't Teasel where you live, I'm sure there's some other good ones. How about Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) - actually my all time favourite?
It certainly looks like it would be found in your area..
A lot of people (not me
) really like Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) also apparently found in your area.I prefer woody, herbaceous plants (I hate the word 'weed' to describe plants that have fantastic things to offer like food, medicine, cordage fibres, fish poisons, dyes, tinder, etc. ) for hand drill, but wood also works, of course.
So even if you don't have Teasel growing in your area, mistwalker, I'm positive there are many other things that work (almost
) as well.Once again, thank you to everyone for their comments.
Doc
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Looks cool i will have to try that trap sometime
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Yeah he acts that way too!
What a softie ... It all makes sense now
Now that Tony has trekked all the way to Canada to visit when are you Canucks going to reciprocate ?
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Now that looks like fun, well, for all but the rat. 
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Well what can I say. Doc has pretty much mentored me over the internet and emails for the last couple of years on plants, traps, and pretty much all else outdoors. When I heard that I was being sent to Toronto for work, I immediatley contacted Doc. in the hopes I could meet the cranky old bastid that taught me so much. He was more than willing to clear his schedule and put togetrher a fun outing in where we can practice and learn skills. I was also very happy that KGD found the time and made the 4 hour drive to meet as well. Phil is also a very seasoned outdoorsman with a passion for not only learning different skills, but improving apon them; such as that trap Doc talked about.
Anyway, the 4 of us met up around noon, and before we knew it 9 hours had flown by!
No lunch or dinner, we were too busy having a great time to even notice how late it was.
Learning the proper technique for the handrill was great. I don't blame the blister for my failed attempts, I feel it was a lack of downward pressure and fatigue. I made several attempts at it, but probably worn myself out after the 1st. I will gather my own material here, (allthough I have yet to see Teasel while treking around in CT) and keep trying for a hand drill coal. But IMO, hand drill is much more difficult than bow drill, and should only be used if you have no cordage for the bow drill. But that won't happen, as Doc showed me sonme great ways to make strong cordage very quickly!
On the plant walk I learned some new plants, and saw some huge versions of some plants I didn't thing grew that big. Needless to say, my head hurts from all the info I have taken back with me. We shared alot of laughs, and I will definatley like to spend more time with my Canadian brothers!
Ken, you did a great job on the handdrill bro!
Anyway, the 4 of us met up around noon, and before we knew it 9 hours had flown by!
No lunch or dinner, we were too busy having a great time to even notice how late it was.
Learning the proper technique for the handrill was great. I don't blame the blister for my failed attempts, I feel it was a lack of downward pressure and fatigue. I made several attempts at it, but probably worn myself out after the 1st. I will gather my own material here, (allthough I have yet to see Teasel while treking around in CT) and keep trying for a hand drill coal. But IMO, hand drill is much more difficult than bow drill, and should only be used if you have no cordage for the bow drill. But that won't happen, as Doc showed me sonme great ways to make strong cordage very quickly!
On the plant walk I learned some new plants, and saw some huge versions of some plants I didn't thing grew that big. Needless to say, my head hurts from all the info I have taken back with me. We shared alot of laughs, and I will definatley like to spend more time with my Canadian brothers!
Ken, you did a great job on the handdrill bro!
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Actually, they were mostly just from cleaning out my van
. Glad you made it home, safely. I hope you come up again - WHEN IT'S COOLER!
Doc
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Hey guys, I just got back late last night. After leaving the get together I went to visit my buddies cabin for a day and then did a loner canoe camping trip for a couple of nights exploring some wetlands and a small lake off his land.
Anyhow, I had a great time on Monday and it was really worth the first trip. The handrill coal was a real treat, and like everything, there are little tips and techniques to be learned from first hand instruction that rarely gets translated when you are trying to learn on your own. Tonym is a great guy with an awesome sense of humour and knows his way around a knife quite well. Too bad he loves them scandi's so much. I wasn't so kind to provide him with the B. Andrews on my belt. Always love Doc's plant walks because I learn so much on them.
Anyhow, once I dig my camera out of my bags and unload the truck, I'll post my report of Monday here and start another thread on my other trip. Great to meet you Tony, hope we can do it again sometime!
Anyhow, I had a great time on Monday and it was really worth the first trip. The handrill coal was a real treat, and like everything, there are little tips and techniques to be learned from first hand instruction that rarely gets translated when you are trying to learn on your own. Tonym is a great guy with an awesome sense of humour and knows his way around a knife quite well. Too bad he loves them scandi's so much. I wasn't so kind to provide him with the B. Andrews on my belt. Always love Doc's plant walks because I learn so much on them.
Anyhow, once I dig my camera out of my bags and unload the truck, I'll post my report of Monday here and start another thread on my other trip. Great to meet you Tony, hope we can do it again sometime!
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Okay, here are some shots I had from Monday.
Tonym setting up for handrill. I think his problem at the beginning was that he first adopted a 'playing the saxophone' grip...
But doc pointed him in the right direction and he was drilling in fine form!
He was getting some good smoke too!
Then Doc showed us how it was done, Phil had provided the first successful demo and popped off a coal in no time at all.
(yes Doc, we know the stick goes into the hole in the hearth....)
Tonym setting up for handrill. I think his problem at the beginning was that he first adopted a 'playing the saxophone' grip...
But doc pointed him in the right direction and he was drilling in fine form!
He was getting some good smoke too!
Then Doc showed us how it was done, Phil had provided the first successful demo and popped off a coal in no time at all.
(yes Doc, we know the stick goes into the hole in the hearth....)
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Wow, Ken, you got some great pictures. Did you get some of Pierre down by the creek, or are you still uploading?
Doc
Doc
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Tonym on bowdrill, took him about 30s to coal on this setup.
However, Tony was so tired after all that hand drilling and bowing, he needed a little help in the wind direction. Doc had just the gadget.
Things looked like they were really picking up for the party....But it turns out this spliff is for holding and transporting an ember not for stimulating the munchies. The device in hand was Doc's rolled mullein leaves.
Rest of the pics are of the plant walk. Here is some jewel weed famous as a cure for poison ivy. According to Magnussen, you steep the weed soon after harvesting and then make ice cubes of the steeped material. Keep the ice cubes in your freezer and use them when you get a case of poison ivy. Lasts forever in this form.
Yellow variety above and orange variety below. I'm told both varieties are equally effective for poison ivy.
According to Doc, jewel weed's name comes from the fact that water beads up on the leaves forming tiny jewels on the surface.
However, Tony was so tired after all that hand drilling and bowing, he needed a little help in the wind direction. Doc had just the gadget.
Things looked like they were really picking up for the party....But it turns out this spliff is for holding and transporting an ember not for stimulating the munchies. The device in hand was Doc's rolled mullein leaves.
Rest of the pics are of the plant walk. Here is some jewel weed famous as a cure for poison ivy. According to Magnussen, you steep the weed soon after harvesting and then make ice cubes of the steeped material. Keep the ice cubes in your freezer and use them when you get a case of poison ivy. Lasts forever in this form.
Yellow variety above and orange variety below. I'm told both varieties are equally effective for poison ivy.
According to Doc, jewel weed's name comes from the fact that water beads up on the leaves forming tiny jewels on the surface.
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Some wild ginger that Doc pointed out. The second shot shows the rhizomes that you can harvest. Had a nice ginger smell to it.
Some bloodroot that Tonym found and identified. The red root in the center is not part of the leaf.
Yarrow in flow. Yarrow can be crushed up and applied to cuts. The juices cause the blood capilliaries to contract on contact stemming blood flow. Apparently it stings like heck but immediately stops the bleeding. According to George Hedgepeth, a tea made from tarrow can be used to aid kidney infection (yeah Pitdog - another bladder cure!).
Tonym splitting up some spruce roots for a simple cordage. Tony latter made a trap using the split root for the trigger set.
The wife says that Tony has a nice butt. Perhaps it is all well that Rick didn't bring the family around that day!
Some bloodroot that Tonym found and identified. The red root in the center is not part of the leaf.
Yarrow in flow. Yarrow can be crushed up and applied to cuts. The juices cause the blood capilliaries to contract on contact stemming blood flow. Apparently it stings like heck but immediately stops the bleeding. According to George Hedgepeth, a tea made from tarrow can be used to aid kidney infection (yeah Pitdog - another bladder cure!).
Tonym splitting up some spruce roots for a simple cordage. Tony latter made a trap using the split root for the trigger set.
The wife says that Tony has a nice butt. Perhaps it is all well that Rick didn't bring the family around that day!
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Actually, this is a wick for an oil lamp (shown below, not from this gathering). I think Ken got so excited when he saw it, that he tuned me out.
Doc