An End of Summer?

I know that in our area, it has been one strange Spring/Summer. Compared to last year, it was an almost complete reversal. Instead of bludgeoning heat and drought conditions that greeted us this year, we have been pounded with humidity, cool weather, and rain. The weather channel is even calling for temperatures in the 40s tomorrow night??? The crops have suffered in spurts, still no red tomatoes, no hot peppers, slow growing squash, corn, and cukes. The greens seem to be enjoying and performing well, but that's about it. Lost the beans and cabbage to the deer. Another thing that I have been noticing is what seems to be an amazing number of late births in the surrounding wildlife. Most of the fawns that I have been seeing are tiny, hen turkeys wandering the woods with a single poult, robins laying eggs now or making new nests to start a clutch. My friend who is a botanist has been noticing the same things in the woodlands surrounding his home, so I know it is not my mind playing tricks on me. Then driving home on Friday, I noticed a couple tree that were changing colors already. On today's ride home the number was astonishing and their is an unmistakable chill in the air. Is fall fast approaching with winter right behind? Will we have a more intense winter this year? How will an early fall effect the livestock and wildlife? Lots of questions, that only time will answer. Not much time to stop and ponder, remember...

Sassafras

Scientific Name: Sassafras albidum
aka Sassafrax,White Sassafras, Red Sassafras, Silky Sassafras, Winauk, or Cinnamon Wood

A distinctive tree that is very abundant here on our homestead. For those unfamiliar, it is a deciduous tree with three different shaped leaves that share the same branches from a trilobed, two-lobed or single lobed elliptical leaf that appear green to yellow-green. In the fall they turn a flaming shade of yellow and some leaves may be tipped with red. The entire tree is aromatic and spicy. When you break a branch or rub against it you will definitely notice the scent - which personally I enjoy. It is very easy to recognize once you see it and all of the kids can pick it out. It makes a refreshing tea which can be enjoyed in small amounts. The goats and pigs also seem to love it!

[[The following information is shared for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.]]

It has been used by the Native Americans, the Europeans and early Americans as a medicinal herb. The leaves & roots can be used as teas or poultices and the bark could be crushed and steeped in boiling water. It was used to reduce fevers, treat rheumatism, gout, dropsy, kidney disease, toothaches, to relieve inflammation of the eyes, ease menstrual pain, cure various skin conditions [including insect bites, germs, and head lice], used as an antiseptic, to cure urinary tract infections, to relieve swelling, to treat syphilis and even cancer.

Sassafras can be used to flavor sodas and teas. It is also used in cooking as a thickening agent, in salads, as a condiment, or to brew beverages.

It contains a chemical called safrole which has been labeled by the FDA as a carcinogen. This was after testing in rats which were given extreme dosages each day, each person can be their own jury in this. Excessive dose of sassafras can cause anxiety, shakiness, abnormal heart beats, vomiting, dilated pupils,  stupor, spontaneous abortion, collapse and even death.

Indian Pipes UPDATE

I thought I would take some more photos of the Indian Pipes to show them as they are maturing. I can't believe the number of them all over the hillside. Some of them are starting to bloom. I continue to look at that as a positive sign of our continued bond with the land. 

I also found some interesting mushrooms growing near the Indian Pipes. They were quite larger in comparison I placed a penny beside them.

An Unfortunate Departure

The night went well with the little guy cuddling up to the cardinal and all appeared well in the morning. The food was gone, so it appeared that he ate. He was up and moving around as 'normal'. He started getting lethargic around noonish and so my wife let him drink from a dropper and ground up some worms for him to snack on. She also added a 'chirping' chick toy to give him some company. It seemed that he had a flea problem so she removed as many as she could. He seemed to be fine and was acting normal again, then a few hours later he became lethargic again and unable to stand. Everyone continued to give him attention and comfort, but to no apparent avail. He would attempt to rise but tire quickly and lay down breathing heavily. A few hours later he returned to the Earth to continue on his journey. He was given a blessing and buried near the old oak tree. The children were upset and we pondered the turn of events, but as we know well the journey of life begins and ends when the skein is cut. We did our best to offer hospitality and kindness to our guest for the length of his stay and were honored to care for him.

It does make us ponder what the reason for his abandonment was. Perhaps his mother was killed, or he got separated from the group, or chased away. Did his mother know what fate awaited him? Was he a runt? Was it the loneliness? We will never find the answers to these questions, but at least our experience is richer for having shared a brief amount of time with this beautiful creature.

A Dinner Guest

The family had an interesting experience today on a more positive note than those trespassing beetles. We were sitting down to dinner and enjoying another excellent meal. Suddenly we were interrupted by sounds of distressed chirping, looking out the window there was a small bird ducking in and out a pile of rescued lumber stacked along the edge of the woodline. As we watched for a few moments, we did not notice any other birds around and none of the chickens were in the vicinity [as the sound was distinctly similar to young chicks, which made us think maybe the broodies had hatched their eggs]. Our next move was to take a closer look, much to our surprise it looked just like a chick, except we do not have any chickens with markings or colorings of that nature. It appeared to be at least a week old, as it did not have any egg tooth remnants. We decided to watch it for a bit and see if it was lost or if anyone [mom or siblings] might show up. No one ever did. We couldn't just leave the little guy, so we gathered him up and put him in one of the bins we use for newly arrived chicks. As we made him comfortable, the investigation began.

It didn't take long to determine that our guest was a young wild turkey poult. We can't figure out how he arrived alone on our homestead, and further searching of the area where we found him has not revealed any answers. We do have a good sized wild turkey population that ranges through our land and the surrounding area, so I am not surprised. We have tried to ease his transition and provide him with as much hospitality as possible. Adding leaves, food and water to his bin made him a bit more comfortable. Much like with young chicks, we have been encouraging his exploration of the waterer and added some crumbled feed. Having had a similar situation last year, when one of our hens hatched a single chick and abandoned it, we were greatly concerned about his health and the fact that he is alone. We contemplated adding him to the three ladies batch once they hatch but we are not positive when or if they will be successful. One of the girls volunteered her little stuffed cardinal to keep the poult company. Surprisingly after a bit of chirping, he has cuddled up with the cardinal and is resting peacefully. 

Indian Pipes aka Ghost Flowers, Ghost Plant, or Corpse Plant

Well I was out taking a walk through the forest near our ve, when I looked down and noticed some strange white nubs emerging from the ground. Memories washed over me, as it has been over 20 years since I have seen Indian Pipes! I was ecstatic to say the least and so had to run for the camera. 

So I gathered up the children and started off on an adventure. They were quite curious and I was happy to share a bit of a lesson with them - starting with lesson one DO NOT EAT THESE! We make sure to bring that up as a first topic when out gathering or hunting for herbs. Unless you know 100% what it is and Mom or Dad agrees...it doesn't enter your mouth.

It takes a very special relationship for Indian Pipes to grow, as they are a parasitic plant that does not produce chlorophyl and so cannot produce its own food. It will have its roots tap into the mycelia of a fungus. Then it is able to take nutrients from the fungus. The fungus also has its mycelia attached to the roots of a tree [mycorrihizal relationship - where the tree and fungus share nutrients with one another]. The Indian Pipes do not share anything in the relationship and so therefore are considered parasitic, though they do not cause any damage to the fungus or tree.

It serves as food for a variety of insects as it flowers and spreads its seeds. Once picked or after the have gone to seed they turn black very quickly. The presence of Indian Pipes is a good sign of very rich forests! [That means our relationship and stewardship with the forest is working!!!]

[[The following information is shared for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.]]

There are various medicinal properties for this plant as well. It can be used as an antispasmodic, as a febrifuge, as a pain reliever,  for inflammation of the eyes and skin, bunions, and warts,  as a nervine, and a sedative. It is also known to possess hallucinogenic properties and was used for vision questing. It is known to be TOXIC as well.