Some Autumn Foraging & Experimenting With The Missus

[Mistwalker]

Finally, after weeks in south Florida and multiple projects to finish up, I got the missus out in the woods for some hiking, foraging, a experiments. Seems she has seen enough of my enjoyment of study of the natural world that she is getting into it herself and bought a little Nikon p&s a while back. First thing she spotted some berries and said they looked like grapes. I told her that I wasn't sure what they were yet but not grapes as far as I knew. I told her to go in and take a closer look and in a few minutes I'd show her some grapes to compare them to. So she waded on in to check them out. Didn't take long till she needed to cut her self free...but no complaints. When we left home she was wearing a bigger knife than I was...but I just had to remedy that...maybe it's a man thing, I don't know.

In a few minutes I spotted something she had yet to try and pointed it out...with a bigger knife and she gave it a try. She actually ate more of it than I expected, I was impressed.

We found a muscadine vine and I had a great snack. She ate a few but not as many as I did. Said they were a bit too intense, but fine if she was hungry.

I found some grapes, but they were a bit past ripe.

And some autumn olive, but they were still quite tart and tannic.

We found something no one should ever eat...

Found a nice field of clover to sit in. I got photographic proof that she almost never stops talking and spotted some dew drops under the clover.

.

 

[Mistwalker]

Then we wandered around a while and found a nice loaded persimmon tree, but no cold weather yet so I'm not eating them yet. Notice she confiscated my water bottle carrier...under the guise of carrying it for me...actually she really was, she really can be a sweetheart.

I found some fatwood, and pointed out more so she could familiarize with some of it's appearances.

I told her there was a lot of it in this log...so she started looking for it, and gave the MKI a good workout.

After watching her give the Ka-Bar a workout for a bit, I told her there was an easier way to access it...and the playing began when I told her burning some of it would run off some of the mosquitoes.

Easy to tell autumn is here.

On the way back to the truck I pointed out Mullein in a couple of stages.

Then she found some of our heavy briers the hard way, and started noticing how many there are here.

Any way, after the weeks I've had lately it was a great time. I hope we get to do it again soon.

 

[akula83]

Cool pics, looks like fun.

 

[Mistwalker]

Cool pics, looks like fun.

Thanks, and yeah it was fun. I was also glad to see her actually put the Ka-Bar to use since she decided it was better suited to her than to me. But the deal was if she got that one I could order the leather handled one I really want. Now all I have to do is come up with the extra funds...

 

[Hawkeye5]

Good job Mist. Thanks for the post.
Hawkeye

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Thanks for taking the time to post all those Great photos

Looks like a Great day

 

[LMT66]

Great pics Mist. Nice way to spend the day!

 

[scruffuk]

Great pics Misty.

Its good to get out with the bosses once in a while.

I hope you don't get in too much trouble for that 'never stops talking' comment!

Can you remind me what the must never be eaten plant is?? Have you showed it before??
I seem to remember it being purposefully used poison or something that was used herbally once?? (probably some arcane Victorian ladies pupils dialator or something)...see I have totally forgotten :?

 

[mqqn]

Awesome trip - and a very cool wife to go out with you.

My wife would be hopping around, afraid of the spiders.

Thanks for the very nice pictures, very informative with the foods you found, and congrats on having such a great woods companion!

best

mqqn

 

[Mistwalker]

Good job Mist. Thanks for the post.
Hawkeye

Thanks Hawkeye, I'm glad you liked the post.

Thanks for taking the time to post all those Great photos

Looks like a Great day

Thanks bro, it was a great day, and I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.

Great pics Mist. Nice way to spend the day!

Thanks man, and yes it was!

Great pics Misty.

Its good to get out with the bosses once in a while.

I hope you don't get in too much trouble for that 'never stops talking' comment!

Can you remind me what the must never be eaten plant is?? Have you showed it before??
I seem to remember it being purposefully used poison or something that was used herbally once?? (probably some arcane Victorian ladies pupils dialator or something)...see I have totally forgotten :?

Thanks Scruff. Yeah, we used to get out a lot together, but not so much lately. Seems that with work and the youngest daughter we are too busy covering each other for breaks from it all to get out together as much as we once did. But we;ve talked about that and have plans for more outings together this autumn just the two of us.

Oh, no worries man. She knows she talks a lot and that I don't mind unless I'm trying to work. When we first met ten years ago we would go out on dates and talk from 8 in the evening until 5:30 in the morning and I had 30 minutes to get to work.

The plant is Datura Stramonium. It has nicknames like Jimson weed, Devils Apple, Thorn Apple. I read one case where it inadvertently ended up in a wild stew...some died and some had to have kidney transplants. It's one to avoid ingesting.

Awesome trip - and a very cool wife to go out with you.

My wife would be hopping around, afraid of the spiders.

Thanks for the very nice pictures, very informative with the foods you found, and congrats on having such a great woods companion!

best

mqqn

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed the thread. Yeah she's pretty cool. She's not the panicky type. She somehow managed to get a large writing spider on her shoulder once and never jumped when she looked over at it. Just said "hey, what are you doing there" let it crawl onto her hand and put it on a nearby tree. She's nearsighted so the recognition was instant. I'm far sighted and things get blurry close up, the spider picked the right shoulder to land on... She's ever rescuing caterpillars because she loves butterflies lol.

 

[pitdog]

Great pics as always buddy, you have to love this time of year eh and who better to share it with than your nearest and dearest..........unless you have dogs of course, then I'll pick them everytime !:friendly_wink:

 

[Mistwalker]

Great pics as always buddy, you have to love this time of year eh and who better to share it with than your nearest and dearest..........unless you have dogs of course, then I'll pick them everytime !:friendly_wink:

Thanks bro. Yes this is definitely my favorite time of year and I love it when she goes out with me.

 

[Mistwalker]

I'm surprised no one was curious about the lateral stress on the stick tang of MK1. Not like she tried to break it or anything, but she did give it a good workout and it actually did really well.

 

[coaldigger]

Nice pics....looks like you guys had a good time ! Looks like those Hickory Nuts were "cut" by the Southern Flying Squirrel. Grey Squirrels bust the nut into pieces when they "cut" & Red Squirrels(Fox Squirrels) make a jagged hole on both sides of the nut. Mice chew several tiny holes & ground squirrels make a jagged hole in one end. But the Southern Flying Squirrle cuts a smooth circular hole on the shoulder of the nut. Just a little useful info for ya

 

[Jack Black]

Nice pics, it's a great time of year to be out in the woods. Had some great autumn days here after a really miserable summer. I like the look of 'your' water-bottle carrier too, hadn't actually realised it's size before.

 

[Mistwalker]

Nice pics....looks like you guys had a good time ! Looks like those Hickory Nuts were "cut" by the Southern Flying Squirrel. Grey Squirrels bust the nut into pieces when they "cut" & Red Squirrels(Fox Squirrels) make a jagged hole on both sides of the nut. Mice chew several tiny holes & ground squirrels make a jagged hole in one end. But the Southern Flying Squirrle cuts a smooth circular hole on the shoulder of the nut. Just a little useful info for ya

Thanks man, and that's interesting info!

Nice pics, it's a great time of year to be out in the woods. Had some great autumn days here after a really miserable summer. I like the look of 'your' water-bottle carrier too, hadn't actually realised it's size before.

Thanks, yes much nicer than the hot summer! She said I should buy her one, I said not until you carry this one full and see if you still want one. So...she did, and she still wants one. I like it because in the summer I can use a smaller diameter bottle like a Klean Kanteen full of ice water and it becomes a mini cooler keeping things like candy bars from melting

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks, yes much nicer than the hot summer! She said I should buy her one, I said not until you carry this one full and see if you still want one. So...she did, and she still wants one. I like it because in the summer I can use a smaller diameter bottle like a Klean Kanteen full of ice water and it becomes a mini cooler keeping things like candy bars from melting

Likes like a good piece of kit. Do you have the 1 ltr size or the larger one?

 

[Mistwalker]

Likes like a good piece of kit. Do you have the 1 ltr size or the larger one?

I got the 10x4 carrier which is the smaller of the two. I wish I had gotten the 12x5 for more storage area in with the bottle. This one easily holds a 38 ounce SS Guyot nested in GSI cup though. Just with no room around it. My Klean Kanteen is the 27 ounce bottle so has more storage room around it but less water.

 

[Jack Black]

I got the 10x4 carrier which is the smaller of the two. I wish I had gotten the 12x5 for more storage area in with the bottle. This one easily holds a 38 ounce SS Guyot nested in GSI cup though. Just with no room around it. My Klean Kanteen is the 27 ounce bottle so has more storage room around it but less water.

Thanks for the info Mistwalker, the 10x4 looks pretty big. I might have to invest in one of the two. When I originally saw it in the Maxpedition catalogue I completely underestimated the size.

Hope you and the missus have many more great days out.

Jack

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for the info Mistwalker, the 10x4 looks pretty big. I might have to invest in one of the two. When I originally saw it in the Maxpedition catalogue I completely underestimated the size.

Hope you and the missus have many more great days out.

Jack

No worries man. I got the idea to get it from friends here. Several of my friends here have built kits around these water bottle carriers. If you do a search you can find some cool ideas.

Thanks, I hope so too