I have been absent for a while.
Life seems to have distracted me a bit...
In any case here are some pictures from a little wandering I did earlier this week, on the forest land on our old family farm in Southern Oregon.
A very damp, foggy morning around 34 F.
Started around 0730 doing some scouting of an old road we built back in the mid 80s that we need to start clearing out to access the forest to harvest some wind and snow fall trees for firewood.
IMG_3248 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Lots of small trees in the road bed, and down logs that will need to be cut out. Hard to see the road cut, but it is there. While it would be fun to do it all with the BK21, we will probably break out the chainsaws and the heavy brush trimmer with a cutting blade.
IMG_3254 by ursidae8, on Flickr
IMG_3256 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Let's see what else we can find.
A wood rat nest, note the BK 4 for scale.
IMG_3257 by ursidae8, on Flickr
A clump of bear grass and a smaller incense cedar tree. Bear grass (not at all a “grass”) was used by first nations people for baskets, mostly, once died, for making decorative patterns. It has a beautiful large cream colored flower in the spring. Large groupings are nice places to nap, in the summer; just saying.
Incense is our common cedar in this area (giving way to the Western red to the north and coastal areas). A wonderfully aromatic wood whose larger older trees have deeply grooved thick bark; best known as pencil wood.
IMG_3259 by ursidae8, on Flickr
California groundcones. This plant does not photosynthesize and survives by parasitizing the roots of trees, mainly the Madrona, or madrone. One of the many parasitic heterotrophic plants in the PNW.
IMG_3263 by ursidae8, on Flickr
When first emerging the buttons look like this.
IMG_3280 by ursidae8, on Flickr
And this is the host tree.
IMG_3281 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Another group of three, showing its distinctive reddish bark, with peeling curls. Love me some Madrona!
IMG_3268 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Yerba buena, makes a great bush tea. Note the purple undersides of the leaves.
IMG_3271 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Time to make something warm to drink.
Let's see what this old Douglas fir stump can give us.
IMG_3272 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Digging into it and breaking out some of the only remaining wood which is rich with resin.
IMG_3273 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Scrape off the decay and carve some curls.
IMG_3276 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Next for some lower octane fuel.
This old cedar stump should do.
IMG_3277 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Chopping into one of the buttresses and prying off a section yields nice dry wood just under a thin layer of dampness at the surface.
IMG_3278 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Using another old stump as a work bench, process the fatwood and cedar; remove the damp outer layers and other crud, cutting shavings of fatwood with the drawknife section of the BK4, catching them on an old piece of cotton to keep them off the wet duff and moss. Cut thinner strips of fatwood and cedar from the larger pieces.
IMG_3288 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Materials ready: fatwood to the top, cedar below, all resting on my waterproof tyvek sit sheet, again to keep them off the damp forest floor. I find the cotton does a better job of catching and holding the shavings, which slide off of the slick tyvek.
IMG_3299 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Fatwood shavings into the stove, ignite one and add it, add some of the smaller fatwood and cedar pieces, and we are off.
IMG_3301 by ursidae8, on Flickr
IMG_3307 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Now I could make some bush tea from foraged supplies, but I am a bit cool and it is very moist out, so I am going for the calories of some “Mexican” style hot cocoa powder I carry in the colder months.
Within a minute or two, I have a hot cup, with some dried prunes, persimmons and apples from our fall harvest, a handful or two of almonds/cashews/sunflower seeds/walnuts.
IMG_3310 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Enjoy your New Year! We shall see what it will hold...
(I think I have another post I wrote from my 2019 outings, but seem to have never gotten around to loading up; might throw that up, even though it is old...)
Take care, stay safe,
Brome
Life seems to have distracted me a bit...
In any case here are some pictures from a little wandering I did earlier this week, on the forest land on our old family farm in Southern Oregon.
A very damp, foggy morning around 34 F.
Started around 0730 doing some scouting of an old road we built back in the mid 80s that we need to start clearing out to access the forest to harvest some wind and snow fall trees for firewood.
IMG_3248 by ursidae8, on FlickrLots of small trees in the road bed, and down logs that will need to be cut out. Hard to see the road cut, but it is there. While it would be fun to do it all with the BK21, we will probably break out the chainsaws and the heavy brush trimmer with a cutting blade.
IMG_3254 by ursidae8, on FlickrIMG_3256 by ursidae8, on FlickrLet's see what else we can find.
A wood rat nest, note the BK 4 for scale.
IMG_3257 by ursidae8, on FlickrA clump of bear grass and a smaller incense cedar tree. Bear grass (not at all a “grass”) was used by first nations people for baskets, mostly, once died, for making decorative patterns. It has a beautiful large cream colored flower in the spring. Large groupings are nice places to nap, in the summer; just saying.
Incense is our common cedar in this area (giving way to the Western red to the north and coastal areas). A wonderfully aromatic wood whose larger older trees have deeply grooved thick bark; best known as pencil wood.
IMG_3259 by ursidae8, on FlickrCalifornia groundcones. This plant does not photosynthesize and survives by parasitizing the roots of trees, mainly the Madrona, or madrone. One of the many parasitic heterotrophic plants in the PNW.
IMG_3263 by ursidae8, on FlickrWhen first emerging the buttons look like this.
IMG_3280 by ursidae8, on FlickrAnd this is the host tree.
IMG_3281 by ursidae8, on FlickrAnother group of three, showing its distinctive reddish bark, with peeling curls. Love me some Madrona!
IMG_3268 by ursidae8, on FlickrYerba buena, makes a great bush tea. Note the purple undersides of the leaves.
IMG_3271 by ursidae8, on FlickrTime to make something warm to drink.
Let's see what this old Douglas fir stump can give us.
IMG_3272 by ursidae8, on FlickrDigging into it and breaking out some of the only remaining wood which is rich with resin.
IMG_3273 by ursidae8, on FlickrScrape off the decay and carve some curls.
IMG_3276 by ursidae8, on FlickrNext for some lower octane fuel.
This old cedar stump should do.
IMG_3277 by ursidae8, on FlickrChopping into one of the buttresses and prying off a section yields nice dry wood just under a thin layer of dampness at the surface.
IMG_3278 by ursidae8, on FlickrUsing another old stump as a work bench, process the fatwood and cedar; remove the damp outer layers and other crud, cutting shavings of fatwood with the drawknife section of the BK4, catching them on an old piece of cotton to keep them off the wet duff and moss. Cut thinner strips of fatwood and cedar from the larger pieces.
IMG_3288 by ursidae8, on FlickrMaterials ready: fatwood to the top, cedar below, all resting on my waterproof tyvek sit sheet, again to keep them off the damp forest floor. I find the cotton does a better job of catching and holding the shavings, which slide off of the slick tyvek.
IMG_3299 by ursidae8, on FlickrFatwood shavings into the stove, ignite one and add it, add some of the smaller fatwood and cedar pieces, and we are off.
IMG_3301 by ursidae8, on FlickrIMG_3307 by ursidae8, on FlickrNow I could make some bush tea from foraged supplies, but I am a bit cool and it is very moist out, so I am going for the calories of some “Mexican” style hot cocoa powder I carry in the colder months.
Within a minute or two, I have a hot cup, with some dried prunes, persimmons and apples from our fall harvest, a handful or two of almonds/cashews/sunflower seeds/walnuts.
IMG_3310 by ursidae8, on FlickrEnjoy your New Year! We shall see what it will hold...
(I think I have another post I wrote from my 2019 outings, but seem to have never gotten around to loading up; might throw that up, even though it is old...)
Take care, stay safe,
Brome
