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Thread: intimate knowledge

  1. #1
    Senior Member wareagle69's Avatar
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    Default intimate knowledge

    so i am begining my 4th yr at the homestead-a record for me.
    but i used to try and live a yr somewhere to learn the land, in arizona i would hit monument valley, the grand, sedona, ect at all times of the yr to learn the land in all seasons, same as the niagara region, hiking the falls at all times of the yr.
    one thing i have seen being here,and this is why i want to live here, is to gain an intimate knowledge of the land over many yrs. I have not opened a wile edible book this season but instead watched all my favoriites as they grow and thrive, as my land changes it is intersting to watch, even with the addition of more horses they have changed the land and different plants thrive where i had not seen before.
    3 summers and 3 different types of summer here which has brought plants and shrooms the i did not expect, tonight while feeding the horses my pasture was full of white mushrooms, a quick look says they are not aminitas so i am doing a spoor print right now in anticipation.
    i love wathcing and learning and observing the land as time and weather effects it as the months go by
    last yr i made piles of sand and dirt and clay and gravel spread around the property and got allot of different plants growing, in some spots i had good primrose but watched it really take off in my gravel piles, in my clay and dirt thepigweed and lady thumb have continued to grow all season long, some of my stand bys are still here no matter the weather like my clover and mullien.
    hmm did not mean for this to turn into a wild edibles thread but thats where it went, sometimes putting down the book and just watching the land daily yeilds allot. instead of learning new plants i just ate what i knew and watched the season it grew in and how long it grew for and how many times it would be available to me
    Last edited by wareagle69; 08-22-2010 at 07:55 PM.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    Terrain association is key.

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    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

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    40+ years in Alaska, and I would swear that there has never been two summers the same, nor two winters the same. We just had a record 31 continuous days of measurable rain, and the forest is a solid carpet of mushrooms. Mushrooms are NOT my department but some are huge, 14" in across, stems 3" thick, and stems 12" tall, I have no idea what they are.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    That's funny SD, we have had the driest summer ever.
    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

  5. #5
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    It's interesting how in an area things that we often assume are the same, really are not once we start paying attention. Interesting thread WE. Sounds like you are enjoying your learning.

    Here, Florida we set a record last winter for the most consecutive days with temps below freezing (I enjoyed that immensely). A few days ago we set another record for the most consecutive days with temps above 90.
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    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    While I'm not at the stage of putting my books down, (It's kinda fun to try to identify plants) I am flagging, noting, and observing growing seasons, harvest times, etc. I've lived in the same general area (at least within 10 miles of my current location) all my life, and I'm not sure 4 years is long enough to take in everything that there is to learn in one location... Heck, It's taken me a lifetime to learn what little I know now!

    I guess there is a point where a person might say "That's enough, time to move on", but for me, in my location, with all the different habitats to observe (hardwoods, pine forests, marshes and wetlands, flowing streams, sandy / muddy / clay / gravel) I don't know that 1 lifetime is even enough. All those different eco's are within 10 miles of my house lol. It's impossible to get bored around here and this is where I'm staying!

    Congratulations on the 4th homestead anniversary WE. I know your mentor is nearby and that is probably extra motivation for you to stay and learn, but isn't it really a little deeper than that? Fess up... it's your own curiosity and desire to learn intimately about your environment. Yes?

    and a question about your notes.. what info are you including in your notebook, besides the obvious "season / date / harvest time / location (habitat)"
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